Pride! Get ready for the big parades

EVENTS After an intense month of activities and activism the LGBTQ+ community still has two weekends of huge moments to come

- Isobel Van Dyke

THE countdown is on. After four weeks' worth of celebrations in the city, Pride Month comes to a close this Saturday with the party of all parties: the annual parade. If you were planning on popping into Soho to peruse the shops, or fancied a leisurely stroll through Hyde Park, think again - unless, that is, you like the idea of being caught in the swell of more than one million glitter-clad, Seltzer-slinging gays.

And yes, you read that right. Last year, London Pride broke attendance records with more than a million people showing up to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK's first parade. This year, we can expect to see similar numbers, though some members of the LGBTQ+ community will be saving themselves for the following weekend, when London Trans Pride takes place on July 8.

This year's official Pride in London campaign focuses on supporting the transgender community. Titled Never March Alone, the campaign is a direct response to the frightening discussions surrounding trans rights. As a result, some Londoners have chosen to put their energy into showing up on July 8, rather than the better known July 1.

"On the 8th of July, I will head to Trans Pride, not just to revel in our being, but because to me, Pride is a call to action. The transphobia that grips this nation is a cancer that spreads with alarming speed, and I see the consequences of this regression every day," says Nadine Noor, activist, DJ and founder of one of London's most famous LGBTQ+ club nights, Pxssy Palace.