Brighton & Hove Pride Magazine 2019

Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 2ND – 4TH AUGUST

#STONEWALL50 – GENERATIONS OF LOVE CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL UPRISING THAT IGNITED THE PRIDE MOVEMENT PRIDE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY PARADE · PRIDE DOG SHOW · PRIDE ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAMME · PRIDE PLEASURE GARDENS Brighton-Pride.org 1 PRIDE IN THE PARK · LOVEBN1FEST · PRIDE VILLAGE PARTY

Welcome to Brighton and Hove Pride.

All revenue from our official ticketed events goes directly to the operational and running costs of producing the Pride In The Park Festival, LGBTQ+ Pride Community Parade, Pride Village Party and community fundraising for the Rainbow Fund, Pride Cultural Development Fund and Pride Social Impact Fund.

ÂŁ705,000 Raised for good causes

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Grants awarded

Pride has raised over £700,000 for local charities, community groups and projects in the last six years.

The Rainbow Fund has a remit to receive donations and to use them to give grants to LGBT and HIV groups and organisations in Brighton and Hove. The Pride Social Impact Fund benefits local good causes giving grants to a range of local groups and projects. The Pride Cultural Development Fund supports local artists and facilitates their participation in the Pride cultural programme of events.

£20,500,000+

Boost to the City’s economy over Pride weekend

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Welcome to Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 Pride is a time when we come together to celebrate and embrace the diversity and inclusion in our great City.

Brighton & Hove Pride is about every aspect of our community, respecting each participant, and our sole ethos is to promote respect and diversity within our communities, and supporting our local charities and good causes is the cornerstone of our Pride. This year our fundraising purpose has been placed prominently front and centre of this magazine.

This year we launch our City Angels campaign promoting shared benefits and shared responsibilities. City Angels an initiative to promote a closer working partnership between Brighton & Hove Pride and local retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses. The year-round campaign will see Pride promoting the Brighton retail and hospitality economy, whilst asking those businesses that benefit from the £20.5m+ that is spent over Pride weekend to engage their civic pride and get involved through the Pride City Angels programme.

Pride In The Park is our main community fundraising event and this year we’re thrilled to have LGBTQ+ Icon Kylie Minogue headline our main stage.

We are expanding the other diverse areas on the park with even more queer and BAME representation across all our stages.

Pride are also committed to improving our environmental impact and are working with a sustainability expert to help us on a three-year plan. We are focusing our energies on the areas we have control over, Preston Park and Old Steine, and introducing reusable non single use plastic cups as well as working with the venues in the Pride Village Party footprint to try and reduce plastic and carbon emissions. Our aim is to reduce the volume of single use plastic waste deriving from the festival bars. We expect the adoption of a reusable cup scheme to reduce by up to 30% the volume of waste that has historically gone to incineration. Pride will also be sponsoring a silent disco beach clean with partners Oceans8, Pier2Pier, Brighton Watersports and the Bird & Blend Tea Co (page 30).

We can’t do this alone – we have a shared responsibility for our City and the environment.

We ask everyone attending Pride to support businesses across the City who have signed up to City Angels or that are supporting our greener and cleaner Pride initiatives.

Contents The Necessity Of Protest ..........................................6 Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade........................8 What did Stonewall ever do for us?....................14 Pride In The Park.......................................................16 Kylie Minogue..............................................................18 QueerTown..................................................................26 Plan Your Journey......................................................29 Sustainability...............................................................30 Beach Clean.................................................................30 City Angels..................................................................31 Prancing Elites............................................................32 What does it feel like to run free and to not be tethered to other people’s dreams for you?

by Phyll Opoku-Gyimah..........................................34 LoveBN1Fest..............................................................36 We’ve Made A Lot of Progress on Trans Rights – But the Fight is Far From Over.

by Owl & Fox Fisher.................................................46 Pride Pleasure Gardens...........................................49 Pride Village Party.....................................................55 Pride Arts & Culture Programme.........................57 Fundraising: The Rainbow Fund..........................62 Fundraising: Pride Social Impact Fund...............64 Pride Partners.............................................................67

Finally, I have to thank the small, hard working Pride team, our statutory partners Brighton & Hove City Council, Sussex Police, Fire & Rescue, the NHS, our commercial supporters and all the volunteers who help make Pride happen.

For visitors to Brighton and Hove we are thrilled that you have chosen to come and spend some time with us in our wonderful city.

Paul Kemp, Brighton & Hove Pride CIC

Contributors Design and photography: Chris Jepson, www.ChrisJepson.com Contributors: John Banyard, James Carey, Dave Cross, James Daly, Robbie Dee, Fox Fisher, Owl Fisher, Elliss Lewin-Turner, Mark Nortcliffe, Eoin Norton, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Oscar Quine, Matthew Todd, Angus Wharton, Kate Wildblood.

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The Necessity Of Protest

By Matthew Todd

Without fierce protest we would not have the lives we have today. For many years it was said that the patrons of the Stonewall Inn only fought back in the early hours of June 28th 1969, against one of the regular police raids, because they were so upset that Judy Garland had been buried the day before. The reality, as I found out, researching my new book, Pride: The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement, is more complicated.

There’s little doubt that some were mourning Judy but the Stonewall had a predominantly young, often homeless crowd, and according to leading Stonewall historian David Carter, would have seen her as a favourite of the older generation.

What has been left out of the narrative is the staggering social change that occurred in the decade that lead up to the riots that left LGBT people feeling that the time for queer emancipation was overdue.

A series of political assassinations rocked America to its core. President John F Kennedy was killed in 1963, black civil rights activist Malcolm X in 1965, Senator Bobby Kennedy and then Martin Luther King Junior were both murdered in 1968, just a year before Stonewall occurred.

In America and across the world, a post-World War II generation, had fiercely protested the Vietnam war. By the sixties the US black civil rights movement had exploded alongside demand for rights for Puerto Ricans and other groups. Women, too, were fighting for their rights. In the US and UK women were able to access the contraceptive pill from the early sixties. The infamous protesting of Miss

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America where women binned their bras (not burned them) occurred in 1968.

In May 1968, riots erupted in France after the state came down heavily on Parisian students protesting the lack of decent university facilities, ending with President Charles De Gaulle fleeing the country and calling a general election.

Bob Dylan, in his smash hit Like A Rolling Stone, sang to a generation who believed they had been abandoned by God and the state, and everything was up for grabs.

In America it’s not true that Stonewall was the first-time gay people had fought back against oppression. Gay and lesbian rights group The Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis had formed. Patrons of the Compton Cafeteria, a San Franciscan bar heavily frequented by queer and trans people, rioted in August 1966 after continued police harassment. The year after, at the Black Cat Tavern in Los Angeles, there were also non-violent protests at continued police raids. And in the UK, seismic change occurred two years before Stonewall when homosexuality was partially decriminalised in England and Wales.

Still, Stonewall and the extent of the riots were an immense and truly galvanising moment. Activists who had been demonstrating in years previously including Craig Rodwell and Brenda Howard (known as ‘the mother of Pride’) organised the first Christopher Street Liberation Day in New York on June 28, 1970. It was preceeded by marches in Chicago and LA the day before. In 1972 the UK held its first official Gay pride March in London on 1st July 1972 when 2000 people marched through London and then had a picnic in Hyde Park. However a smaller group of people

Gay Pride, London 1972

had marched unofficially from Highbury Fields in North London in November 1970.

In the last decade we have come to know of, and pay respects to, three key figures, Storme Delaverie, a lesbian woman of colour and Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two people of colour whom many believe would identify as trans if they were alive today. Sylvia and Marsha campaigned for the rights of young homeless queer kids, people of colour and those in prison. They started STAR – Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. The mainstream community did not embrace them, and divisions based on class, race and soci-economic backgrounds, and between those who wanted more radical action addressing those issues, that exists to this day, began. Similar divisions were apparent in the UK by the 1990’s as LGBT people tried to cope with the devastation of AIDS and the hysterical homophobia that came with it, when two important but different groups were founded.

Stonewall was set up by a group of activists and public figures including Sir Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman (then starring in EastEnders), Lisa Power from Gay Switchboard and the Terrence Higgins Trust, and others. Their aim was to create a group that would be able to lobby parliament and speak the language of the establishment. Outrage! was a more aggressive direct-action group formed by activists Keith Alcorn, Simon Watney, Chris Woods and Peter Tatchell after the murder of actor Michael Booth in a public toilet in 1990. Outrage believed that groups like Stonewall would not want to be associated with campaigns about cottaging and less ‘respectable’ issues and they engaged

in acts of civil disobedience, protesting in Cathedrals and streets with confronting placards. In reality, Outrage’s highprofile stunts caused disturbance which forced politicians to engage with Stonewall, meaning both groups were absolutely invaluable in the process of liberation that we have lived and continue to live through.

It is strangely eerie that as we mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall we are in an era of similarly huge change across the world. Trump is in power. Brexit has fuelled intense divisions in the UK. Across Europe the far right is rising. And most terrifying of all is that the environment is degrading and destabilising. Late last year and again this spring, Sir David Attenborough warned that if we do not take emergency action then the collapse of our society and civilisations is on the horizon. It seems the LGBTQ community and many others do not yet grasp that without ‘a civilised society’ there would be no LGBTQ rights, no respect for women, nothing to stop racism and other prejudice. This is now at risk. If we really want to celebrate those people who changed our lives at Stonewall, we must mobilise and make stopping the devastation of the environment, which we all rely on, our number one priority.

No matter what we are told by media commentators today, protest does work. Stonewall shows us it is, in fact, the one thing that does.

Matthew Todd is the author of ‘Straight Jacket’ and ‘Pride: The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement’. www.whyihavepride.com

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Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade Saturday 3rd August 2019, 11am · Hove Lawns · Brighton

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The Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade is one of the undisputed highlights of the Brighton & Hove Pride Festival weekend and is a glorious showcase of the city’s charities, community groups and small businesses as well as our invaluable blue light services and statutory partners. It is one of the biggest and brightest events in Brighton & Hove’s events calendar, with over 300,000 people pouring out onto the city’s streets to participate in and watch on as an all-singing, alldancing carnival of colour wends its way from the Hove Lawns to the main Pride festival site.

In 2019 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising that ignited the Pride movement with our theme ‘Generations of Love – Celebrating 50 years of campaigning with Pride’.

We will continue to put campaiging for global LGBTQ+ rights at the front of our parade highlighting diversity and inclusion with representatives of BAME and trans communities and the fabulous Prancing Elites, a black male dance troupe from Alabama. Our campaign placards this year will feature LGBTQ Heroes who have devoted their lives, passion and energies to advancing our global LGBTQ+ rights.

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Every year, participants include Brighton & Hove Pride’s partners and sponsors, local community groups, representatives from political parties and faith groups, the NHS, Brighton Housing Trust, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue, the Girl Guides, trade unions, and a number of major brands showing their support for diversity, alongside a selection of performers, musicians and artists.

Flamboyant, vibrant and colourful, the Brighton & Hove Pride Community Parade is a show-stopping spectacle not to be missed. With this year being the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that ignited the Pride movement the parade promises to take on this uniquely global message – translated into an array of eye-popping technicolour magic, look out for our 50m Rainbow Flag the symbol of pride. So, be sure to find yourself a good spot on the packed pavements from which to watch as the spectacle goes by. In addition to the music, floats, bands, costumes and dancing – the parade will carry the message of love, unity, and support for the worldwide LGBTQ+ community that is at the heart of everything that Brighton & Hove Pride stands for.

Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade Saturday 3rd August, 11an Hove Lawns Brighton-Pride.org/pride-parade

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New Parade Route For 2019 The Pride Community Parade has a new route provisionally for one year only.

While Brighton & Hove City Council implement a new road layout and carry out landscaping works to improve the main route into the city our parade will, for one year only make its way from Hove Lawns on the seafront to Pride in the Park via North Road and not down North St or past the Royal Pavilion.

The best location to watch the parade go by are shown on the map by a blue line so that you, your friends and family can find a great spot to watch the parade go by.

2019

filmpride the brighton & hove pride film festival

In associaltion with Latest Group CIC, and supported by Peter Tatchell, we are proud to present a fantastic new LGBTQ+ festival, FilmPride.

FilmPride will run from Sunday 24th July to Sunday 4th August 2019 and will showcase 3 not-to-be-missed events: •

“Live and Let Live” – featuring the premiere of a documentary about LGBTQ+ rights activist Peter Tatchell

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“Shorts Out!” – LGBTQ+ international short films, documentaries and animations

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“Banned” – LGBTQ+ feature films from around the world

Submissions are now open for “Shorts Out!” Do you have a short film, documentary, animation or music video of less than 15 mins, with an LGBTQ+ theme? Then visit PrideFilm.org to submit today and take advantage of the Early Bird discount!

More Arts & Culture Programme info on pages 57-60

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What did Stonewall ever do for us?

The events of that fateful night on June 29, 1969 - when a group of queer kids at New York City’s Stonewall Inn dared to say ‘no’ - remain hazy. A police raid occurred at the mafia-run bar, the Stonewall patrons fought back, and riots broke out which lasted two nights. But the after-effects of that bravery are still felt today - not least in Gay Pride marches held around the world, the first of which marked the anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Marsha P. Johnson Marsha P. Johnson was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and moved to New York City with a bag of clothes and $15 to her name, settling in Greenwich Village in 1966 where she began to wait tables. Between 1972-1992, she performed with the Hot Peaches drag theatre company.

On the first night of the Stonewall riots, Marsha is said to have thrown a shot glass at the mirror in the scorched bar and screamed “I got my civil rights!”

This was later described as “the shot glass that was heard around the world”. The next night, Marsha climbed a lamp post to drop a bag containing two bricks through the windshield of a police car.

Marsha was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). Along with Silvia Rivera, she rented a rundown flat paid for with sex work in order to house homeless gay and trans youth. For this work, Marsha has been described as a saint.

Stormé DeLarverie Stormé DeLarverie is widely credited with throwing the punch that sparked the Stonewall riots. Stormé was a butch lesbian and civil rights campaigner who patrolled the streets of Greenwich Village looking for what she called ‘ugliness’ - any form of intolerance, bullying or abuse.

“She literally walked the streets of downtown Manhattan like a gay superhero,” a close friend said. “She was not to be messed with by any stretch of the imagination.

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On the first night of the Stonewall riots, a woman - who many claim to be Stormé - was led from the bar in handcuffs bleeding from the head. Repeatedly breaking free from police she attacked at least four officers.

Turning to the crowd, she cried “why don’t you guys do something?” before being put into the back of the police van. The crowd went beserk. For this inciting act of courage, Stormé has since been described as “the gay community’s Rosa Parks”.

On stage, Stormé performed both as a woman and in drag and graced the stage of the Apollo Theatre and Radio City Music Hall. She worked as an MC and a bouncer and spent time in Chicago where she claimed she was working as the bodyguard for a mobster. In New York City, she lived for many decades in the legendary Chelsea Hotel.

Sylvia Rivera Sylvia Rivera first put on a dress at the age of four - and was made homeless at 11 when her grandmother, angry at her effeminate ways, threw her out on to the street.

Working as a child prostitute, she was taken in by the local community of drag queens who gave her the name Sylvia.

Rivera was a committed campaigner, involved in the civil rights movement, anti-Vietnam protests and feminist activism. She was also involved in Puerto Rican and African-American youth action groups and co-founded STAR with Marsha P. Johnson.

Many say she threw one of the first bottles at the Stonewall riots - an impressive act considering the NYPD’s heavy-handed history when dealing with

the gay community. “I’m not missing a minute of this,” she apparently yelled.

“It’s the revolution!”

Sylvia always stressed the importance of the trans community that night.

“We were the frontliners,” she later told interviewers. “We didn’t take no shit from nobody. We had nothing to lose.”

Raymond Castro After returning to the Stonewall Inn to give a friend ID, Raymond Castro found himself being carried from the bar by two police officers. The crowd shouted “Let him go! Let him go!”.

Raymond pushed against the police van with both his feet, knocking the policemen to the floor. “I’m not a radical, but I always had a feeling for the underdog,” he later said about his unwitting place in history.

Raymond always looked out for others. Having escaped the initial raid that night, he headed back into the bar as he was concerned about a friend while in custody, he paid his lawyer to represent a fellow rioter.

Dick Leitsch Dick Leitsch was packing for a trip to London when a radio report alerted him to the Stonewall riots. “I got in a cab but couldn’t get any closer to Stonewall than 14th Street, so I got out and walked,” he said.

Leitsch was executive director of the Mattachine Society of New York (MSNY) - an early gay rights group.

Returning home in the early morning hours, Leitsch cancelled his plane tickets and went instead to the office “to type up my thoughts for the Mattachine Newsletter.”

“I was the first gay person to write

about Stonewall and I said it was the best thing that could have happened. I felt like Lenin at the revolution,” Leitsch recalled, “but it turned out that for Mattachine it was the beginning of the end.”

After Stonewall, a number of gay rights organisations sprung up to challenge the supremacy of Mattachine, which had previously been one of only two major LGBTQ organisations in New York, along with a chapter of the lesbian group the Daughters of Bilitis.

This was an important time for the gay rights movement, in which a new generation of organisations - including the Gay Liberation Front - took hold.

After spending time in Kentucky, Leitsch returned to New York City and wrote freelance for the weekly magazine GAY and went to rallies and demos.

Fred Sargeant Fred Sargeant was heading home from dinner with friends when he happened upon the first night of rioting at the Stonewall Inn. He and his boyfriend Craig Rodwell, founder of New York City’s first bookshop dedicated to lesbian and gay authors, wasted no time getting involved - encouraging the press to cover the story, drafting in protesters, and printing information leaflets.

“The leaflets were all pretty much on the same theme,” said Sargeant, “about the cops and the corruption and the mafia operating the bars and how gay people were getting caught in the middle.”

After the riots, Sargeant began attending meetings held by the new gay rights groups. A common theme, he realised, was the desire for a new way to create change.

Rodwell had previously proposed an

annual gay and lesbian protest march in Philadelphia. He and Sargeant wasted no time in planning for a Stonewall anniversary march. A year later, on June 29 1970, along with the help of the Christopher Street Liberation Day Coordinating Committee, they held New York City’s first Gay Pride March.

Virginia Apuzzo While Virginia Apuzzo missed the first two nights of rioting, her later arrival - and the heights she reached in US government - demonstrate the importance and wide-ranging impact of what came to pass at the Stonewall Inn on the night of 29 June 1969.

Apuzzo was 28, had had sex with two women, and was living in a convent in the Bronx as a trainee nun. Reading about the riots in a local newspaper, she packed her bags and moved to Brooklyn.

After Stonewall, Apuzzo decided to dedicate her life to public service. She served in a number of senior roles for LGBTQ charities before being named President Clinton’s assistant for management and administration - making her the highest-ranking gay person in his White House administration.

Seymour Pine Seymour Pine had no reason to believe that the raid on the Stonewall Inn would be any different to the numerous others he had attended as a NYPD policeman.

However, Pine described what came to pass at Stonewall that night as “like a war”.

The Manhattan native later said he regretted the raids, especially since many people involved were around the age of his own son. “It made you feel lousy really,” he said, “because most of them were school kids or those who had just recently gotten out of school.

It made you feel like you were spoiling [whatever] fun they had.”

Pine later apologized for his role in the raid, but said when discussing the outcome of the riots: “If what I did helped gay people, then I’m glad.”

- Quotes taken with thanks from interviews with American broadcaster PBS.

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Saturday 3rd August 2019 · Preston Park · Brighton

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Described by The Guardian as “the country’s most popular LGBT+ event,” Pride In The Park is our main fundraising event.

Pride In The Park Saturday 3rd August, 12 noon Preston Park

We are thrilled to have LGBTQ+ icon Kylie Minogue headlinging this year with with her ‘Greatest hits’ show, and are expecting many surprises and special guests.

With more than 10 areas of diverse enterainment including the QueerTown stage with more than 10 queer artists, the Shelia McWattie Women’s Performance Stage, activists and campaigning speakers, cabaret stages, dance tents and community village, the Pride In The Park celebration is much than just a main stage.

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Kylie Minogue

By Dave Cross / Image The Postman

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Kylie is a true icon of our times. From soap actress to global music phenomenon with a catalogue of flawless pop classics and a place in all our hearts.

Launched on to an unsuspecting world via Australian soap Neighbours, and then taken under the wing of the Stock Aitken and Waterman hit factory in 1987, the girl from Melbourne soon became the biggest pop star in late 80s Britain. Early hits such as I Should Be So Lucky, The Locomotion, Especially For You, Hand On Your Heart and Tears On Your Pillow and her multi-platinum first two albums broke her out of the UK and Australia giving her chart hits all over the world, including a top three single in America. In the 90s more hits followed including classics such as Better The Devil You Know, What Do I Have To Do, Shocked, Give Me Just A Little More Time, Step Back in Time and Confide in Me, plus Kylie began to forge a reputation for sensational live shows.

The 21st Century started with Kylie signing a new record deal and returning to the top of the charts with Spinning Around and the album Light Years that featured the duet Kids with Robbie Williams and On A Night Like This. This hugely successful ‘comeback’ was followed by the even more successful Fever album launched by her biggest hit single to date, Can’t Get You Out of My Head. Since then the hits have continued to come including Love at First Sight, In Your Eyes, Slow, I Believe In You, Wow, All The Lovers, Into The Blue, Dancing and many more. In 2018 she returned to the number one spot with her 14th album, the critically acclaimed Golden.

Kylie has performed live all over the world including many Pride events from Australia to the UK and beyond, she performed a stunning version of ABBA’s Dancing Queen at the Sydney Olympics, was the first female to headline BBC Radio 2’s annual Hyde Park featival and is due to perform at Glastonbury this year. Kylie has had guest roles with Dawn French on the Vicar of Dibley and starred alongside David Tennent on the Christmas Day Doctor Who in 2007 recording the shows largest ever audeince. She has supported many LGBT+, AIDS and HIV charities and the campaign for equal marriage in Australia, plus since her own brush with breast cancer in 2005 has worked tirelessly to encourage women to get tested and raise money for related charities. She is officially recognised as the highest-selling Australian artist of all time and is quite simply one of the most famous and cherished pop stars in the world. Her performance of Greatest Hits at this year’s Brighton Pride is the culmination of her 2019 tour and coincides with her new collection, Step Back in Time.

Kylie is headlining the main stage at Pride In The Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019 in Preston Park.

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Clean Bandit Clean Bandit are one of the most successful British bands of the past decade, taking their compelling mix of cool beats, elements of classical music and big name collaborations to the top of the charts all over the world.

Formed in 2008, Grace Chatto and brothers Jack and Luke Patterson have been chart regulars since their first number one Rather Be in 2014. Hits such as Real Love, Tears, Rockabye (Which was the UK Christmas number one in 2016) Symphony, I miss You, Solo and more featuring a string of big name vocalists including Jess Glynne, Sean Paul, Anne-Marie, Zara Larsson, Ellie Goulding and Demi Lavito. They have won a clutch of awards including two Ivor Novellos and a Grammy for Rather Be. The band have been at the forefront of LGBT+ visibility in mainstream pop with the video for their top five hit song Baby, with Marina and The Diamonds including a bittersweet samesex storyline, while the video for Symphony features two black gay men as a couple. The have performed all over the world including many large festivals and prestigious venues. Their second album What is Love? is out now.

Clean Bandit are headlining the main stage at Pride In The Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019 in Preston Park.

Fleur East Fleur first rose to fame as a powerhouse finalist on The X Factor, with explosive performances that even landed her a No.1 on iTunes with ‘Uptown Funk’ before the song was even officially released.

Then came THAT monster hit ‘Sax’, Fleur’s amazing debut single that smashed into the Top 3 UK Singles Chart and stayed in the Top 10 for seven weeks. Internationally the song went Top 10 in Mexico, certified Gold in the Netherlands and Australia, topped the airplay charts in Hungary and Croatia, and peaked at No.2 in Costa Rica.

Fleur’s is a story about how the right combination of passion, determination and talent will always pay off. Now fresh from her triumphant stint in the jungle on ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’, Fleur kicks off the new year in true style with ‘Favourite Thing’.

See Fleur on the main stage at Pride In The Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019 in Preston Park.

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Björn Again Björn Again is the world-wide phenomenon ABBA tribute act created in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia by Rod Stephen and John Tyrrell and in the words of ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson “BJÖRN AGAIN are the closest you can get to seeing ABBA. ABBA will never reform!

Björn Again has performed at festivals worldwide including Reading and Glastonbury, to private performances for celebrities, including playing at parties for top UK golfer Colin Montgomerie, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, comedian Rowan Atkinson and actor Russell Crowe’s wedding.

Alice Chater Pocket rocket pop newcomer Alice is aiming high. We’re talking Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady GaGa levels of triple-threat superstardom, all on-point choreography, high-concept videos and attitude-laden vocals that aren’t afraid to belt.

Bored of a modern pop landscape that’s rigid and way too-cool-for-school, alice is here to shake things up, with the help of some of pop’s biggest names including will.i.am as a mentor and contracts with Virgin Records in the UK and Capitol Records in America.

Zak Abel In 2015 sensational North-London singer/songwriter Zak Abel caught the attention of tastemakers everywhere by releasing two EPs, Joker Presents… and One Hand On The Future. Including collaborations with Kaytranada, Tom Misch, Joker and Karma Kid and featuring stand out tracks such as Say Sumthin and These Are The Days, the EPs garnered over 3 Million streams on Soundcloud alone and received widespread support from, amongst others, respected tastemakers Julie Adenuga and Zane Lowe (Beats1), Radio 1’s Mistajam and Annie Mac, i-D and Noisey.

The Prancing Elites Prancing Elites are a seven-piece black, male dance troupe based between Baton Rouge, Louisana and Mobile, Alabama. Between 2015 and 2016, the group appeared in reality TV show The Prancing Elites Project, which is available to watch on All 4.

After seeing their social posts last year and the huge online support they received, we are thrilled that they agreed to come to Brighton to lead the Pride parade and appear on the main stage of Pride In The Park for their first ever UK performance.

Read more on page 32

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Photo Thurstan Redding

“I’m so excited to come down to play Brighton Pride. It’s such an important day for queer people to come together and celebrate in a safe space surrounded by people in the community, as well as our strong allies.”

Rina Sawayama is one the most exciting new British acts to emerge in the past few years, releasing gorgeous, critically acclaimed music whilst putting her own sexuality front and centre.

Born in Japan, but raised in London from the age of five, Rina discovered her love of singing in a gospel choir where she took the tenor lead. After school she attended Cambridge where she was in a hip hop group with Theo Ellis from Wolf Alice, before graduating with a degree in politics and deciding she wanted a career in music.

From the start it was clear Rina was never going to be a typical pop starlet just singing about heartbreak or romantic love. Her second single Where U Are explored human relationships and interaction with digital media where we constantly try to show a flawless persona as a substitute for actual human warmth. This concept was taken further on her March 2017 single Cyber Stockholm Syndrome which explored the levels of support the Internet offers alongside contrasting feelings of optimism, anxiety, and freedom.

When we spoke to Rina about her choice of subjects she told us, “I write about what I identify with, what I’ve experienced in my life. As humans we go through so many different chapters in our lives, and as a queer Asian women I want to sing about my unique experience in the hope that my lyrics and songs speak to everyone, but also specifically people like me. Growing up there wasn’t any (to my knowledge) queer Asian pop stars so it was hard to identify with so much music being released.”

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Further singles were followed later in 2017 by her debut mini-album called RINA, released independently. In 2018, she released the song Valentine on Valentine’s Day and that was followed by Cherry, an uplifting musical treat complete with stunning video, in which she explores her sexual identity. She proudly describes herself as pansexual and told us, “I think it’s really important for there to be queer role models in all industries. Luckily, in the music industry, it’s a relatively safe space so we have a number of queer pop stars and musicians and it’s great to stand alongside my queer siblings and shout loud about our experiences through our art form.” It’s clear that songs like Cherry are her way of sending a positive message into the world.

Since the realise of that landmark single, and the support she received for its message Rina has been touring across the UK and America including performing with Charli XCX and supporting Years and Years. Rina’s sound is a captivating mix of old school vibes, intelligent lyrics and lush funky production that is 100% 21st Century. Rina is currently putting the finishing touches to her debut full length album, and she took time out to tell us how she was feeling about playing at Brighton Pride, “I’m so excited to come down to play Brighton Pride. It’s such an important day for queer people to come together and celebrate in a safe space surrounded by people in the community, as well as our strong allies. Also, OMG KYLIE!” Rina is playing the main stage at Pride In The Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019 in Preston Park.

Legends Cabaret Big Top Kylie may be headlining the main stage but it wouldn’t be Brighton pride without the Legends Cabaret Big Top. And we can say IT’S NO SECRET that Lola Lasagne has put on another superb line up ESPECIALLY FOR YOU! The day certainly won’t be SLOW as the stage erupts with sequins, feathers, & powerhouse vocals that will leave you SHOCKED. You’ll be SPINNING AROUND to the madness of the Drag With No Name and the filth that is Sandra. Lola will be asking you to PLEASE STAY for the drag legends that are Maisie Trollette, Miss Jason & Dave Lynn. And before you’ve had a chance to BREATHE, Son Ofa Tutu, Rose Garden, Pat Clutcher plus many more will have you DANCING before Mary Mac sings that medley so you CAN’T GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD So come onto Preston Park & tell everyone to GET OUTTA MY WAY as you take your place in front of the stage from 2pm. Join the very best of the UK’s cabaret scene for the ultimate CELEBRATION & we guarantee you’ll leave saying WOW!

Pride Dance Big Top With He.She.They No matter where you are, you can always find your way to the Pride Dance Big Top – just follow the beat rumbling through the grass beneath your feet. The pulsating heart of Brighton & Hove Pride, the Pride Dance Tent is set to return to the huge big top that it calls home – hosted in 2019 by He.She.They.

He.She.They. create a sanctuary; a place without prejudice; where people can spread their creative wings and relinquish the shackles imposed by society, irrespective of age, race, sex, gender, ability, religion, background or their sexual preference. It’s a really simple ethos: have a good time whilst being respectful to others.

With: Kim Ann Foxman · Marshall Jefferson · Maze & Masters · Paul Heron · Wax Wings · FKA · Affy Go Bang · Michelle Manetti

Diva Dance Tent dance ten t

The Diva Dance Tent at Brighton Pride hosts a plethora of the hottest female DJ talent in the UK mixing up the dirtiest most underground deep house and techno with a sprinkling of classic hands in the air dance anthems. Expect a jam packed tent with a friendly crowd who love to dance! With: Sami Kubu · Lola · Alpha · Summer Ghemati · Wildblood & Queenie · Emma Love · King K

Brüt Mens Tent London’s infamous juggernaut of a men-only club for blokes, bears, cubs and hunks opened its doors as a monthly event three years ago at London’s Steel Yard, and has since gone from such strength to strength that it’s now moved to a weekly night at its own venue in Vauxhall.

A testosterone-packed, masculine stack of furry daddies, chunky cubs, lean lads and man mountains...

BRÜT-tastic!

With: DJ Liam · Rob C · Amyl · LCB · Ross Jones · Paul Heron

Brighton-Pride.org

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BAME Stage After last year’s brilliantly successful debut in the Rotunda Ballroom at the Pride Festival, this year we are thrilled to welcome The Cocoa Butter Club as the hosts of the Pride BAME Stage as part of Pride In The Park at the Pride Festival on Preston Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019.

The line-up curated by Sadie Sinner and The Cocoa Butter Club will have top notch live music, cabaret, comedy, burlesque and performance art as well as all your favourite DJs. The ultimate creative clap-back! The Cocoa Butter Club was born as a protest and challenge to the performing arts landscape. Frustrated with the lack of diversity, constant cultural appropriation, and other limitations of the current cabaret scene, they set out to fill a cultural void.

Their experience is a celebration of burlesque, circus, spoken word, live music, voguing, comedy and more.

Providing a voice for “The Other” they exist to promote and celebrate performers of colour, creating a platform allowing the multitude of mediums artists create. From queer voices often shunned from the mainstream LGBTQ zeitgeist, to POC creatives wanting to perform something outside of the expected or limited box.

More info at Brighton-Pride.org/bame-stage

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Brighton-Pride.org

Welfare & Accessibility

requirements in festival settings and look forward to bringing their experience to Pride in the Park making it accessible to all.

Their personnel are trained and qualified in working with safeguarding and welfare as well as drink/drug misuse support, counseling, sexual abuse support and general help to those in distress for whatever reason.

TTK will also be providing support to those with Access needs? Are you Deaf, disabled, elderly or have a mobility issue? Do you need a safe and inclusive personal changing area?

Brighton & Hove Pride are pleased to be working in partnership with TTK Welfare providing support to people with welfare and accessibility requirements.

With many years of experience in outdoor events, TTK have supported accessibility at festivals such as Victorious, Black Deer, Love Supreme and Bearded Theory. They have assisted with a wide variety of

Brighton & Hove Pride works with partners to deliver access facilities and services for the deaf, disabled, elderly and those with mobility issues.

You can also find members from Sussex Area of Narcotics Anonymous, willing to offer help, to those who think they may have a problem with drugs and alcohol. Come and talk. Free NA literature plus 12 step meetings throughout the day.

The Sheila McWattie Women’s Performance Stage The Sheila McWattie Women’s Performance Stage returns for another day of amazing spoken word, stand up comedy, poetry, cabaret and a fantastic array of musical entertainment.

A fitting tribute to Brighton & Hove’s much-loved women’s rights activist Sheila McWattie, 2019 will see a performances from Max Miller, Mine, Colours & Fires, Acoustic Gravel, She Choir and the fabulous Denise Black.

Brighton-Pride.org

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QueerTown is back for it’s 2nd year as part of Pride In The Park celebrating even more queer artists at the Pride Festival on Preston Park on Saturday 3rd August 2019.

Featuring the QueerTown Stage curated by Queer artist Paul Diello with live music, cabaret, comedy, burlesque and performance art. With scrumptious sustinance from the street food village, QueerTown promises to be a community haven at the north end of the Park.

– EPICENE – Epicene is an LGBTQ Fringe award nominated gender blending celebration of iconic women in music. Part musical cabaret, part rock concert, full blown tribute to some of the greats including Madonna, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush, Bjork, Cher and Cyndi Lauper to name but a few! Musician (and queer town host) Paul Diello and his acoustic ensemble take you on a musical prance down memory lane whilst looking back on hilarious childhood stories of growing up in the 80’s/90’s in a small town with gender confusion.

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Brighton-Pride.org/queertown

– BELLA PENFOLD – 19 year old Bella Penfold was catapulted into our living rooms when she became a quarter finalist on last year’s X Factor. She performed LGBT anthem Same Love by Macklemore at Judges’ Houses and is now being hailed as an advocate and champion of the community. Her rendition of the powerful song caught people’s attention worldwide for her being so honest on national television. She takes inspiration from artists new and old, including Cardi B, Drake, Eminem and jazz artist, Ella Fitzgerald. Bella is currently writing new music that she hopes will ‘change the world’. A big statement but we are all confident in the message Bella wants to convey.

– MISS DISNEY – Move over Julie Andrews, take a seat Angela Lansbury, Miss Disney is here to give you A Whole New World of camp cabaret crooning. With more sparkle then Tinkerbell and a sense of humour that would make Maleficent blush, Miss Disney combines all the wonder of our childhood obsessions with the cheekiness of our adult minds. She’s a vocal powerhouse who is not afraid to turn Disney Princesses into headstrong queer individuals, there’s a whole other reason Belle doesn’t want to marry Gaston in Miss Disney’s mind!

– HANNAH BRACKENBURY – Award-winning musical comedy performer Hannah Brackenbury has been tickling the funny bones of Brighton audiences for almost a decade. Her hilarious and heartfelt original songs are the perfect accompaniment to her clever and everpopular song parodies, including classics such as ‘Cats Together’ and ‘Big Grey Pole’ – a delightful musical poke at the i360! She reached the finals of the Musical Comedy Awards in 2016 and last year she was truly ‘Victorious’ – picking up the award for Best of the Festival at Brighton Fringe 2018 with her joyful and poignant tribute to the late, great Victoria Wood.

– LMR – L.M.R (winner of London Pride’s Got Talent) and university student at ACM (The Academy of Contemporary Music) is a 19 year old androgynous artist.

Unapologetically himself, he engages with his audience through his passion for performing and stage presence as well as his unique choice of self-expression.

LàMont has opened for Alexandra Burke, performed at Sinitta’s launch party & the Amazon HQ and is now in the works of finessing his own, distinct fresh sound.

– UNSUNG LILLY – Epic & empowering pop anthems from wife & wife team, Sera & Frankie. The girls have spent the past few years recording in Southern California, completing their ’12 songs in 12 months’ challenge which enabled them to create their album (aptly named ‘Twelve’), which features LGBTQ+ anthems like ‘Its You & Me’, fun & quirky ‘Queen of Tomorrow’, and the feisty ‘I AM’.

– ZAYN PHALLIC – Drag Idol 2018 finalist Zayn Phallic is thrusting his way to the top! His next generation style of drag has been taking the cabaret scene by storm since he began performing in 2017.

Known for nudity and mess onstage and collaboration and community off it, he has been featured in national and international media such as Diva, Boyz Magazine, Stylist Digital and The Independent.

– BUSTY & GINGER – Winners of London Pride’s Got Talent Cabaret 2018, BUSTY & GINGER are a pair of perky performers in love with ABBA, glitter and all things camp! They came together behind a Yamaha keyboard for the first time in 2015, and haven’t looked at a grand piano in the same way ever since.

Brighton-Pride.org/queertown

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Festival Safety Stay hydrated Wear sunscreen Look after your friends

– FELIX SHEPHERD – A British singer-songwriter who merges Alt-Pop with RnB melodies creating a fresh new sound. After a previous flirtation with indie pop, Felix’s new sound is being compared to the likes of Bazzi, Billie Eilish and Frank Ocean. The combination of his groove and melodies compliment the mix of R’n’B, soul and electronic textures have seen him seduce a wider audience after gaining the support from the likes of BBC Music Introducing. Felix’s appearance on last year’s X Factor won him a whole host of LGBTQ+ fans when he told Simon Cowell and the judges ‘I’m here to prove I’m more than just a transgender guy” before wowing the panel with the unique tone of his voice.

– SHERIKA SHERARD –

In our managed areas we have a dedicated medical team able to respond, please ask a steward or security to assist you as well as a Welfare tent with trained professional staff.

If you have left the event keep a note of these services who may be able to help: Brighton Station Health Centre Walk-In Service (open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week) 84-87 Queens Road, Brighton Tel: 0333 321 0946

Mental Health Rapid Response Service (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) Tel: 0300 304 0078 Brighton and Hove Samaritans (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) Tel: 01273 772277 or Freephone 116 123

– BEE & JACKRABBIT – Bee & Jackrabbit are an alt-folk duo who play intricately arranged songs about… everything and nothing! They met at someone else’s gig when Paul was feeling particularly lonely as a performer and had always wanted some cello. They got far more cello than they’d ever imagined so it seemed wrong to just be called, “Paul F Murray featuring Amy Squirrell” hence “Bee & Jackrabbit” was born. The name is from a book called “Woman on the Edge of Time”by Marge Piercy.

Brighton-Pride.org

We want you to have the best Pride ever but sometimes things can go wrong.

Safe Space (11pm – 3am) St Paul’s Church, West Street, Brighton

Prepare to be challenged and positively moved as you experience the infectious creativity of Sherika Sherard. With a voice like velvet to deliver her robust persona this Artist never fails to warm the hearts of listeners. She has had her music picked up by Spike Lee to feature on his Netflix Series of “She’s gotta Have It” and was also asked by British soul star Seal to open for him on his tour after his mobile phone clip of Sherika busking on the south bank went viral!

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If you need to seek medical support for any reason at a Pride event visit the St John’s medical tent as soon as possible they are there to help.

LGBT Safety Forum 01273 855 620

Pride is about every aspect of our diverse community, respecting each and every participant, worker and service provider who make our Pride celebrations and events so special.

Respecting those who help us deliver a safe and amazing Pride festival of events. brighton-pride.org/priderespect-campaign

Plan Your Journey Book A Single Or Return Coach Service To Pride Pride have been working with Event Travel Hub to create a network of pick up locations across the South & London & selected Cities to transport Pride visitors safely to and from Pride 2019.

With over 50 pick up locations across London and the South, there are a number of different options.

Starting from £12 per person plus £1.50 booking fee, you can book just your journey to or your journey from Brighton & Hove Pride. Or, you may decide that you want to travel using their safe and convenient return service travelling both ways.

There is an additional travel service from Madeira Drive taking passengers back East or West from Brighton.

East towards: Saltdean Lido / Peacehaven NatWest / Newhaven Elim Church / Seaford / Eastbourne near station / Polegate Harvester

West towards: Hove Hove Park Tavern (which serves Hangleton) / Portslade Southern Cross Lights (serves Mile Oak) / Southwick Windmill Bus Stop / Shoreham Green Jacket (Tesco’s) Lancing Leisure Centre / Worthing Broadwater Green / Worthing Teville Gate / West Worthing Train Station / Goring Rose Walk / Durrington Boulevard shops / Worthing North Star The service will start at 11:30 pm Saturday night to 12:30 am Sunday morning, and the flat rate fee will be £15 per person for advanced booking.

‘On the night booking’ will be £20 per person.

We hope that many visitors use this travel service and we advise passengers to book ASAP as we expect high demand.

More info and booking at Brighton-Pride.org/travel

GTR Confirms Enhanced Services And Rainbow Queue System For Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 As the countdown to the most colourful weekend on the south coast continues, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has confirmed plans for extra Saturday train services to help vistors get home from Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 this summer.

The operator, which runs Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services out of Brighton, is adding and lengthening services to bolster capacity throughout the weekend, particularly after the main Pride in the Park event finishes on Saturday evening. Additional services will also run late into the night.

GTR has been planning for the event since January, working closely with the Brighton & Hove Pride organisers, Sussex Police, Brighton & Hove City Council and other local partners.

In the spirit of Pride, the organisers and partners have worked closely with GTR to extend the rainbow queuing system outside the station, to direct passengers leaving the city into the appropriate queue for their train before they get to the station concourse.

Brighton-Pride.org/travel

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Sustainability

Working Together For A Greener Cleaner Pride Brighton Pride are committed to improving our environmental impact and are working with a sustainability expert to help us with a three year plan. We are focusing our energies on the areas we have control over – Preston Park and Old Steine – as well as working with the venues in the Pride Village Party footprint to try and reduce plastic and carbon emissions.

So, what are we doing?

Reducing single use plastic

Water

Recycling & Waste Management:

For 2019 we will be piloting a reusable cup scheme at the Preston Park, Pleasure Gardens & PVP sites with Green Goblet.

Our aim is to reduce the volume of single use plastic waste deriving from the festival bars.

Bottled water for sale to festival goers will be replaced with Aquapak cartons to help reduce the volume of single use plastic.

We are also swapping all plastic bottles for cans at all bars and concessions.

We will be introducing mixed recycling bins at Pride In The Park for the first time.

There will be clearly labelled separate bins for mixed waste and a team of volunteers will be stationed at each pod to ensure festival goers separate their waste accordingly.

Energy

2020 to 2021 Sustainable Development Action Plan

What You Can Do

We will be monitoring the energy production of the generators versus actual onsite consumption at both the Preston Park and Pleasure Gardens sites and will use this data to analyse the CO2e emissions with a view to optimising generator sizings and possible alternative configurations to reduce fuel consumption.

Brighton Pride recognises that this is the beginning of their sustainability journey.

Much of what we do this year will focus on benchmarking, that is to say gathering & analysing data that will help us set realistic improvement targets for future years.

People and businesses create the rubbish across the City. We urge everyone coming to Brighton for Pride weekend to dispose of rubbish sensibly and take your plastic cups back to the bars or venues whether in the Pride events or at one of the many pubs, cafes and bars across the city or on the beach. Help us to have a city we can be PROUD of and support our City Angels!

Our beaches are our city’s crowning glory and we are proud to have partnered with a number of other community organisations to support and sponsor volunteer beach cleans.

So far Oceans8, Pier2Pier, Brighton Watersports and the Bird & Blend Tea Co have signed up to support this initiative with more coming on board soon.

If you would like more information about volunteering to be part of a Beach Clean crew, please see Brighton-Pride.org/beach-clean

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Brighton-Pride.org/sustainability

Shared Benefit – Shared Responsibility City Angels is an initiative to promote a closer working partnership between Brighton & Hove Pride with local retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses.

The year-round campaign will see Pride promoting the Brighton retail and hospitality economy, whilst asking those businesses that benefit from the £20.5m+* that is spent over Pride weekend to engage their civic pride and get involved through the Pride City Angels programme.

Some of the Benefits members receive include: •

Official City Angel merchandise to display your support and stand out from the crowd – rainbow flag, window sticker and digital versions for social media and websites

•

City Angels commit to uphold the Pride City Angel pledge that includes: •

Keeping the front of your business area clean, tidy and litter free and encouraging customers and staff to dispose of their litter responsibly

Listing on the City Angels page on Brighton Pride website as well as on the City Angels website

•

Being vigilant to hate crime incidents and actively report incidents to police

•

Listings on advertisements and in editorials celebrating City Angels in Brighton media outlets and in the annual Pride Magazine

•

Being fully supportive of LGBTQ initiatives and events that take place in Brighton & Hove

•

Inclusion in social media campaign around City Angels with links to supporters pages

•

Being a City Angel champion and encouraging other businesses to sign up

•

Increased visibility to city visitors identifying you as a City Angel

100% of the proceeds from City Angels memberships is reinvested in city and community projects. Whether it is through reducing waste in events supply chains, silent disco beach cleans, sponsoring bins, or consumer-focused campaigns to reduce littering – there is plenty for us all to do – and focusing our effort means we can bring greater benefit.

To find our more and sign up, visit WeAreCityAngels.org

Founding Members

Supporting Organisations

Brighton-Pride.org/city-angels

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Prancing Elites

Prancing Elites are a seven-piece black, male dance troupe based between Baton Rouge, Louisana and Mobile, Alabama. Between 2015 and 2016, the group appeared in reality TV show The Prancing Elites Project, which is available to watch on All 4.

After Pride sharing their social posts last year showing the prejudice and discrimination they received from some of the community in Alabama, and the hugely supportive response from the global Pride family, we wanted to share our love and unity so invited them to Brighton to lead the Pride parade and appear on the main stage of Pride In The Park for their first ever UK performance.

Pride caught up with the group’s founder Kentrell Collins to talk about how to deal with haters, Beyonce’s legendary Coachella performance, and how he got on during his time in the army.

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Brighton-Pride.org

How did the Prancing Elites come to be?

How did the TV show change your life?

Back in high school, I always wanted to dance as part of the dance team but males weren’t allowed to audition, yet we were often the ones teaching the girls behind the scenes.

I was in the band and my senior year was very much something I was tired of. So I decided to rebel and start the group. I just felt why can’t we do it? Why can’t we be ourselves? Just because the school system says so?

The notoriety with the public is still there. I can still go to a Walmart and fans want to take my picture; I can go to a nightclub and people will recognise me. The success of the show also allowed me to create a non-profit organisation called HCBU Dance Affair, which I have taken to six different cities and put on dance shows. I believe all kids should be able to see dance shows and know they can take part if they want to.

What was the response like?

Back then, in 2004, people didn’t respond well at all. We got a lot of looks and we got called a lot of names; it wasn’t something anyone was too fond of. We used to dance at football games and there were times when the police escorted us out of the stadium.

Do you still get bad responses?

Yeah, which time? I can give you an example of a parade.

We were just dancing and marching and we got to a particular area and someone in the crowd through a beer keg and we didn’t know was happening until we looked up and we’re all wet with beer. That was a moment for me when we had to sit back and think ‘did we do something wrong?’ It was embarrassing but it kept us going.

How do you deal with negative reactions?

There’s never really honestly an easy way to deal with them besides just dealing with it, you know? We’ve never gotten to the point where we just gave up. When people do things like that it just motivates us to keep going.

Do you get a different response depending on where you perform?

When we go to California, we get major love. In New York, it’s major love. In Atlanta the response is a bit iffy. In New Orleans it’s a little better. I’ve learned that different parts of the world are more open to things compared to how it is down south where we’re all from. We’ve performed in Canada. That experience was something. It was very friendly. The police even had rainbow flags on their cars.

How did the TV show come about?

We were all just doing what we normally do and we had a video that we posted on social media. It went viral on facebook - and this was back when viral wasn’t even a thing. You really had to be doing something in order for a video to go viral. We also posted it Youtube and Shaquille O’Neal tweeted it and - him being this big masculine basketball player - everyone retweeted it. Shortly after, we had tons of emails and phone calls from production companies. After speaking with a few different companies, we narrowed it down and ended up being on [US network] Oxygen.

Are there many other examples of all-male dance groups?

I’ve seen plenty of people trying to do what we do and create their own team - but it is nothing like the original, if that makes sense.

How often do you practise?

It’s usually when people reach out and ask us to perform.

It’s probably once or twice a month we get to practise now. It’s kind of difficult for us to rehearse like we want to because three of our members live in a different state so we will travel back and forth every weekend or every other weekend. They live three hours away but with our passion for the dance we drive those three hours.

Where do you get inspiration for your routines?

I guess it all comes from within. We all pretty much just have our own thought process when we come to dance.

We all just love it and want to do it. Musicians we love are also inspirations.

Beyonce...?

Yes, Beyonce of course. We’ve actually taken some of what we’ll be performing at Pride from her Coachella performance.

Did you do the whole club thing? And did you take inspiration from watching how people dance?

I definitely did the whole club thing. I may take inspiration from people dancing in the club. But usually we’re the ones dancing the whole night.

You spent time in the army. Did you enjoy it?

Yes. I did enjoy my time in the army as far as the training.

I was posted in Germany and that was cool. It was just not something I wanted to do at the time - I was 17, 18.

But the experience really inspired how I train for dances everything has to be right and correct .

Any exciting projects lined up?

What was your response when Shaquille O’Neal tweeted the video?

As far as projects, we are in talks to work on something.

Our show was never cancelled. Basically what happened was the network changed format and pulled everything that wasn’t a crime show. We had the highest rated show on the network though, so watch this space.

It felt unbelievable. We still haven’t met him yet. But it just feels unreal. The question I’ve always wanted to ask is ‘how did you find us?’

The Prancing Elites are perfoming on the main stage at Pride In The Park on Saturday 3rd August in Preston Park and in the Pride Pleasure Gardens on Friday 2nd August.

Brighton-Pride.org

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What does it feel like to run free and to not be tethered to other people’s dreams for you?

Kofi Paintsil for Gay Times

By Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

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Brighton-Pride.org

In a world that is always telling us to be something other than who we are, being ourselves can be dangerous. The very idea that being ourselves can be a form of activism is steeped in privilege, indicative of life in a white and western world. For Black people and people of colour, particularly our transgender and nonbinary siblings, being ourselves may indeed be a form of activism, but for many, it is to court violence. For many, the act of being ourselves means our identities, fashions, language have been adopted, and we’ve been discarded. For many, being ourselves is more than putting on a coat or coming out to our family; it’s daring to exist outside of other people’s ideas of us.

That we continue to hound people to be themselves, when the very act of doing so could cause them harm, means we deflect accountability and lay firmly upon their shoulders, and their shoulders alone, the burden of survival and resilience. Isn’t that unjust? I think we need to flip this on its head. Perhaps a better activism is to fight for a world where others can be themselves. The narrative around “coming out” and “being yourself” relies heavily on the person who is being ostracised, bullied and debated on television to rise up above the collective noise and physical violence to stand up and be proud.

We need to continue holding each other to account, to keep figuring out how to be better allies to others in our community. We’re not all fighting the same fight. Sure, we are part of a collective movement, but this movement long ago spouted tentacles and began to slide off in different, disparate and often conflicting directions. Marriage equality is good, but does not prevent our Black trans siblings from winding up dead in hotel rooms. Coming out in the workplace is good, if you can get a job in the first place.

Being ourselves is daring and it is brave. It is certainly courageous. But when the businesses take down their pride flags after pride month and as people slot back into their quotidian routines, are we safe to be ourselves? Not often.

Angela Davis says, “the importance of doing activist work is precisely because it allows you to give back and to consider

yourself not as a single individual, but part of an ongoing historical movement,” and it’s something I reflect on often.

When we speak of allyship, of asking those in positions different to ours to listen and to act accordingly, we can forget that allyship is needed within the community, too.

So much of the violence and discrimination we experience as queer Black people comes from within the LGBTQ community. Many in the community applaud when Black people and people of colour are themselves, when that self aligns with who they think we should be, but don’t act in our interests when it really matters. When lives are on the line. When others within our community but outside of our experience ask of us to talk about the activism inherent in our existence, they forget to acknowledge the potential activism in theirs.

There is something in my spirit that moves me to action. I am the descendant of warrior women who built churches and roads, who fought for equal rights, who moved continents to give their children better futures. My heart beats at my intersections, the places where Black meets queer meets mother meets woman-lover. I am an activist because I feel compelled to be one. Which is to say, so many people are being themselves already because they have no choice: of what use is it for us to remind them that others are looking at them as activists instead of full-feeling humans?

‘What does it feel like to run free and to not be tethered to other people’s dreams for you?’ is a better question, one better suited to people being themselves in an often unbearably cruel world. The questions we ask of each other need more space: to breathe, to cry, to laugh, to share.

Being you is not automatically a form of activism or protest; it is always an expression of your humanity, of your essence.

However you decide to express yourself, I will fight for you. I will pick you up when you’ve fallen and hug you hard when you’ve won. I will fight for a future that you deserve to live in, a future that can bear your brightness. Above all else, I will love you and that is an activism we can all believe in.

Brighton-Pride.org

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Sunday 4th August 2019 · Preston Park · Brighton

Brighton-Pride.org

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CMYK : 0/100/0/0

LoveBN1Fest returns for the second year to celebrate everything Brighton and Hove CMYK : 76/10/27/0 and bring all our communities and Rainbow families together for a day of fun on the park.

CMYK : 50/0/100/0

Featuring main stage artists, loads of family friendly entertainment, circus skills, performance artists, cabaret, dance tents, street food village, accessibly tent and WellBeing area plus much more.

Jessie J LoveBN1Fest, the Pride Sunday In The Park on Sunday 4th August 2019, is all set for another spectacular festival with the international sensational Jessie J. With her deep, soulful vocals and a sharp pop sense, Jessie has had a trio of U.K. Top Five albums – Who You Are, Alive, and Sweet Talker – as well as chart-topping singles including “Price Tag,” “Domino,” “Bang Bang,” and the brilliant “LaserLight,” featuring David Guetta.

As well as global success with millions of record sales, Jessie is known for show-stopping performances in front of a global audience of billions at the London Olympics, Glastonbury festival and the Diamond Jubilee Concert as well as a full-blown Saturday night prime-time TV career as a judge on The Voice.

Jessie will be on the main stage at LoveBN1Fest on Sunday 4th August 2019 in Preston Park.

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Brighton-Pride.org/lovebn1-fest

Pride aims to raise extra funds from LoveBN1Fest to deliver positive social impact back to Brighton and Hove communities through the Social Impact Fund.

Info and tickets at Pride-Tickets.org Children under 12 are FREE!

CMYK : 0/100/0/0 CMYK : 76/10/27/0 CMYK : 50/0/100/0

Grace Jones Legendary LGBTQ Icon, supermodel, Studio 54 superstar and muse to Andy Warhol…

Grace Jones has lived the life most people only dream of.

From a string of dance club hits like “I Need A Man”, “La Vie En Rose”, “My Jamaican Guy” and “Love on Top of Love (Killer Kiss)” produced by C&C Music Factory to the critically acclaimed albums “Warm Leatherette”, “Nightclubbing” and “Slave to the Rhythm”, her voice and the anthems are as ingrained in our memories as the strong female roles she created opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘Conan’ and Roger Moore in James Bond’s ‘A View To A Kill’.

She has headlined almost every major festival across the word, has created more iconic ‘looks’ that anyone alive and famously hula-hooped at the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Prepare to scream “heeerrrrreee’s Grace!”

Grace will be on the main stage at LoveBN1Fest on Sunday 4th August 2019 in Preston Park.

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Rak Su

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Rak-Su – which stands for ‘tracks vs. suits’ and the juxtaposition of carefree youth and adult : 50/0/100/0 responsibilities – CMYK were the first male band to win The X Factor, and the first ever X Factor act to have had three of their singles top the UK iTunes chart while being on the show, including original tracks Mona Lisa and I’m Feeling You. Dimelo, the group’s winners duet with Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy, debuted at No.2 and has now been certified silver, spending three weeks in the Top 10 of the Official UK chart. The day after being crowned the winner also saw Rak-Su achieve an incredible five songs in the iTunes Top 6 at one point, including Dimelo at No.1.

The past 18 months have been somewhat of a whirlwind for childhood friends Ashley Fongho, Jamaal Shurland, Mustafa Rahimtulla and Myles Stephenson.

As well as performing at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball after their win, Rak-Su also played the Isle of Wight Festival, joined Little Mix on their nationwide tour last summer and collaborated with Coca-Cola on their annual festive Christmas advert with a spin on the classic Holidays Are Coming.

As for what’s to come, we can only hope we’ll see the release of the guys’ debut album, which they’ve also been working on over the past year.

Nina Nesbitt Singer and songwriter Nina Nesbitt’s mixture of pop-inspired melodies, part-acoustic instrumentation, and yearning relationship angst saw her cast as the female counterpart to Ed Sheeran when she was invited to open shows for him as a teen. However, Nesbitt carved out her own identity and had a U.K. hit with “Stay Out” before landing just outside of the Top Ten with her full-length debut, Peroxide. She has also written songs for artists such as Jessie Ware and Olivia Holt.

A record deal with Island/Universal soon followed, as did a series of EPs. She toured in support of Rudimental in early 2019 before embarking on a headlining tour of the U.S. and dropping a new album The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change.

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House Gospel Choir

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HGC brings together outstanding singers, all passionate about music and performance and dedicated to giving a great show. Directed by the seasoned powerhouse vocalist, ShezAr; HGC’s leaders have a history of working with choirs and have sessioned and toured with the likes of The Kooks, MNEK, Scissor Sisters, Wretch 32, Naughty Boy, Gorgon City, Stormzy and Labrinth – to name a few. House Choir shows are amped up even further by DJ Fonti, formerly of the legendary Heartless Crew, and his effortless mixing and blending of the biggest tunes House & Garage tunes. Percussion from Dezy Bongo and live keyboards by Stevie Mac combine with the troupe to create an authentic House meets Gospel sound that never fails to raise the roof.

Grace Carter Championed by BBC Introducing, 21-year old Grace Carter grew up in Brighton listening to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, as evident in her powerful songwriting, which shows emotional and musical depth & prowess. She began songwriting during her school days, and at the age of fourteen was already performing her own material in public. One year later, Grace had converted her bedroom into a makeshift recording studio and when she reached Music College she taught herself the piano by watching YouTube videos. Grace has a voice second-to-none & is already drawing comparisons across the press, blogs & socials with some of history’s greatest soul & pop singers including Adele.

Armed with emotionally exposing songs and a once-seen-never-forgotten live presence, 2019 looks set to be Grace’s breakout year.

Guilty Pleasures After last year’s brilliant party in the park for LoveBN1Fest, we are delighted to welcome Guilty Pleasues back for a second outing.

Guilty Pleasures is a club night like no other. Immersive, unashamedly unapologetic and includes YOU in its quest to make your big night out great again.

It’s a place to ditch the guilt and focus on the good; the pleasure of being part of something fabulous. Pop is a truly great thing and we should never be ashamed. So welcome to the ultimate pop safe space.

“Guilty Pleasures is a putative global phenomenon.” The Guardian

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Dear Brighton, we love you.

With your expansive views of the coast, and stories to tell.

Your bold, energetic fashion, and salty sea smell.

Your funky bars, clubs and ‘locals’, friendly and warm.

Opportunities for adventure, attractions for all.

Ice creams in a cone, the Royal Pavilion and Pier.

Happiness and hippy-ness, your great style, that’s intriguing and queer.

The Laines and Marina, fish and chips on the beach. Live music, fun and frolics, all within reach.

Your beacon of light, illuminating the sky, The British Airways i360 lifts you up mighty high.For breath-taking views of the city and magnificent coast.

It’s one of our favourites, visitors love it even more than most.

The UK’s gay capital, embracing everyone L G B and T. Quirkiness, self-expression, creativity… you can truly be free.

Proud to serve the region, our Gatwick home mere miles away.

Where we fly to over 70 great destinations, we’ll take you up, up and away…

Dearest Brighton… we love you.

British Airways, Flying Proud Proudly flying the flag for diversity and inclusion, everywhere.

Swing Patrol The crew from Swing Patrol Brighton are excited to be involved with LoveBN1Fest again and will be offering swing dancing taster lessons and demonstrations on Sunday afternoon.

CMYK : 0/100/0/0 CMYK : 76/10/27/0 CMYK : 50/0/100/0

They love everything vintage and after their successful pitch on Dragons’ Den with Deborah Meaden have danced at Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street and all manner of amazing summer Festivals. While they love their vintage music and dancing they are well up for a twist so come with your own twist and jump into the taster classes or enjoy the dancers in action.

The Glory presents the best of their cabaret line up at LoveBN1Fest this year. Following their famous drag queen and drag king contests, ‘Lipsync 1000’ and ‘MAN UP’, they will be presenting the most exciting new queer faces who know how to rock a

stage. The Glory’s in house stars are known for being provocative, exciting and radical and are often the benchmark for quality that challenges the current drag mainstream. Lipsyncing meets performance art meets fabulousness. Jonny Woo and John Sizzle will both be down to host along with Rudi Douglas who will lead the legendary Big Gay Songbook sing-a-long live on piano. All this plus a DJ to bring the sounds that make The Glory one hell of a rocking place to be.

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proud to support Love

Roche is proud to support Brighton & Hove Pride Supporting our local community and employees for over 50 years in Sussex

@RocheDiaUK

#RochePride #RocheOpen

Roche will officially be represented at the following Pride parades: San Francisco - Brighton & Hove - SĂŁo Paulo - Indianapolis

www.roche.co.uk

OPEN Roche LGBT+ Staff Network

Š 2019 Roche Diagnostics Limited. All rights reserved

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BN1 Magazine Tent

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The BN1 Magazine extravaganza with an eclectic mix of entertaining tunes, live performances, plus fun and games.

BIMM Live Stage Brighton Pride is thrilled to welcome BIMM, the largest and leading provider of contemporary music education in Europe, back to LoveBN1Fest for a very special BIMM Live Stage on Sunday 4th August. Expect the very best BIMM has to offer with a huge line-up of new and exciting bands and artists bringing the creative spark of our city to our Pride Sunday In The Park celebrations.

With: Arion Haze · Susan · Georgie Femme · Kingsy · Pace · James Byron · Karim · Eve Singleton

The Circus Project The Circus Project charity attracts and engages with a range of people from the wider community, from young individuals to professional circus companies, artists and aerialists. They do this by running classes and workshops, encouraging and supporting new ideas and by working in contemporary circus to produce shows and cabarets to showcase the talents of their students.

They are back at LoveBN1Fest for the 2nd year showcasing their workshops and skills.

Boogaloo Bingo Join the showbiz sensation Boogaloo Stu for frivolity, shenanigans and above all else bingo! Feel the tension rise as Stu’s balls begin to churn, and when they finally drop you can expect non-stop nonsense, outrageous games, obscene works of art, poetry slams, hilarious prizes and of course some downright ballsy bingo. Stu’s gift hamper is stuffed to the brim with all manner of exotic prizes including the ubiquitous Signed Framed Photograph, so come on down and win it big!

Brighton-Pride.org/lovebn1-fest

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We’ve Made A Lot of Progress on Trans Rights — But the Fight is Far From Over

By Owl and Fox Fisher

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In the recent decade, there has been tremendous amount of progress made in terms of trans rights and social acceptance across the world. While trans people have been quietly living their lives openly for many decades, visibility and awareness has exploded in the last few years. But with that visibility also comes a lot of hostility.

UK, despite many countries already having taken the first steps of doing so, such as Malta, Norway, Nepal, Denmark, Canada, states in the US and soon Iceland. Social recognition is on the rise and non-binary and gender nonconforming people are making waves in the UK, but there is still a long way to go.

When the government announced two years ago that they would be reforming the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), a tidal wave of transphobia hit the community. While the proposed changes to the GRA were in line with changes that have already been made in countries such as Malta, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland and soon Iceland, the public debate in the UK has been far from amicable.

In Trump’s America rights are being stripped away from trans people, and most recently they banned trans people from the military. While there are differing opinions on what the military stands for, the fact remains that is is another way push trans people out of public life and dehumanise them.

Anti-trans groups and anti-trans voices have used the opportunity to sprout unreasonable, misinformed and harmful propaganda about the dangers trans people pose to society. From vital services, to bathrooms, to prison and even to sport, these groups have taken it upon themselves to try and effectively push trans people out of public life, and even out of the wider LGBTQIA community. This has sparked a lot of controversy, but also a lot of actions of support such as #LWithTheT that led Brighton Pride last year.

And while the media continues to give platform to old school bigotry, the trans community is struggling to have the real challenges they face dealt with. Events Trans Pride in Brighton have never seemed as important, and offer trans people a haven to come to where they can be free of the daily judgement, harassment and abuse.

Waiting lists to receive trans related health care are becoming longer, or up to 3 years waiting time for a single initial appointment in some parts of the UK. Gender Identity Clinics struggle to be able to help the numbers of trans people seeking health care due to lack of funding and lack of staff. Even when trans people do get access to these services, they are sometimes faced with ignorance, misunderstandings and gender policing.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the support that trans kids receive from their families and trans related health care services. Parents of trans children struggle to get access to the services their children need, and are accused of child abuse for simply allowing their kids to be themselves.

Non-binary legal recognition is still not a reality in the

Hate crimes towards the trans community are also on the rise around the world, and countless cases of violent crimes towards the trans community regularly make the news.

The numbers of reported murders of trans people across the world has steadily increased in the past few years, with 295 in 2016, 325 in 2017 and 369 in 2018. The majority of those were trans people of colour.

While this reality might seem far removed from the UK, there has also been an increase in reported hate crimes towards the transgender community for the past few years.

In March 2018, a trans woman of colour by the name of Naomi Hersi was brutally murdered in Hounslow. In January 2019 a trans woman by the name of Amy Griffiths was also brutally murdered in her home.

It is quite clear that rise of the far-right around the world is having a profound effect on minorities. At the same time the community is becoming stronger, and trans people will continue to fight for what’s right. Trans people deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as everyone else in society, and their inclusion should not be a source of contention, but a source of solutions, positive changes and liberty.

Trans people need their allies now more than ever. We need you to speak up and show solidarity with our struggle, because we are in the end stronger when we are a cohesive, unified voice. This also means supporting other groups such as groups that deal with issues of racism, ableism, misogyny, classism, and climate change to name a few. These things affect members of our community and us all.

Solidarity with each other struggles can only bring solidarity towards our own.

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Old Steine, Brighton Friday 2nd Aug: 4pm-2am Saturday 3rd Aug: 1pm-3am Sunday 4th August: 2pm-midnight

For the 4th year running The Pride Pleasure Gardens will return for a weekend of enchanting and exciting entertainment in the heart of our city. A celebration of our diverse and glorious community, The Pride Pleasure Gardens will see the Old Steine transformed into a unique Pride experience for three days and nights of fierce fun, saucy wonders, camp pop, stunning cabaret, sensational live performances, cool DJs and hot clubbing.

Friday night will open the Pride weekend of festivities with the campest bingo on the planet courtesy of Boogaloo Stu followed by a night of disco dancing as only the Dynamite Boogaloo crew know how with stunning performances from Epicene and the amazing Prancing Elites.

Saturday will see a day packed with cabaret, performance and community followed by the return of Sink The Pink with an all new show featuring none other than Spice Royalty herself Melanie C. Sunday will kick off as it alwasy has with a boot-stomping session of Linedancing from the Cactus Club followed by an afternoon and evening of Queer cabaret. The reins will then be handed over to BrĂźt for the BearFest T-Dance!

Free entry and loads of free entertainment across the weekend. *selected events inside the venues are ticketed

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Friday 2nd August, 4pm-2am 7.00pm Boogaloo Bingo // FREE Join the showbiz sensation Boogaloo Stu for frivolity, shenanigans and above all else bingo! Fell the tension rise as Stu’s balls begin to churn, and when they finally drop you can expect non-stop nonsense, outrageous games, obscene works of art, poetry slams, hilarious prizes and of course some downright ballsy bingo. Stu’s gift hamper is stuffed to the brim with all manner of exotic prizes including the ubiquitous Signed Framed Photograph, so come on down and win it big!

8.00pm Epicene // FREE Epicene is an LGBTQ Fringe award nominated gender blending celebration of iconic women in music. Part musical cabaret, part rock concert, full blown tribute to some of the greats including Madonna, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush, Bjork, Cher and Cyndi Lauper to name but a few! Musician (and queer town host) Paul Diello and his acoustic ensemble take you on a musical prance down memory lane whilst looking back on hilarious childhood stories of growing up in the 80’s/90’s in a small town with gender confusion.

9.00pm–Late Dynamite Boogaloo // FREE B4 11pm The legendary trio of Boogaloo Stu, Dynamite Sal and Dolly Rocket recently celebrated their Silver Fanniversary in showbiz, and are back once again to light up the Pride celebrations with their heady cocktail of pop tunes and daft cabaret, playing to a flamboyant, fun-loving polysexual crowd of dedicated followers.

From 1992 until 2009, worshippers attending the Church Of Boogaloo every Thursday night were dressed up and drenched in sweat, packing out the dancefloor to a wildly eclectic mix of pop bangers, disco classics and indie smashes.

The midnight cabaret with Stu and Dolly became the stuff of legend, with Stu’s absurd gameshow antics ably abetted by the bosomy goddess Dolly, with the chant of “Shitlips!” echoing through the streets of Brighton into the small hours of Friday morning. Remember - Too Much Is Never Enough! ★★★★★ “An institution!” - The Argus The Prancing Elites // FREE B4 11pm We are thrilled to present the first European performance of The Prancing Elites. A dance team based in Mobile, Alabama, the Prancing Elites are made up of individuals who identify as gay or gender non-conforming, which results in the group being banned from competitions and parades. Stars of a US reality TV series, The Prancing Elites Project, the dancers find other ways to showcase their talent, from performing in the stands at football games to dancing on cruises. Full interview on page 32.

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Saturday 3rd August, 1pm-3am 3.00pm–9.00pm QueerTown Cabaret // FREE An afternoon packed full of Queer cabaret artistes with singing, dancing, cabaret and more. Programmed by Paul Diello who also schedules QueerTown On The Park, QueerTown At The Pleasure Gardens will feature:

ON THE PRIDE PLEASURE GARDENS

10.00pm Sink The Pink ft. Melanie C Sink The Pink are crashing back in to the Pleasure Gardens with a fantastic new show featuring Spice royalty, Melanie C. A long-time ally and icon, the friendship between Melanie and Sink-The-Pink-ringleader Glyn Fussell came to its most creative fruition last summer, when she appeared at the STP-co-founded festival, Mighty Hoopla.

Seizing the opportunity to do something surprising and new, the pair threw themselves into one-off show involving all the hits, a sequined catsuit (with added Addias, of course), and four extra Spices in drag. If

3.00-3.30 Miss Disney 3.40-4.10 Adam All 4.20-4.50 Zayn Phallic 5.00-5.30 Felix Shepherd 5.40-6.10 Sherika Sherard

6.20-6.50 Hannah Brackenbury 7.00-7.30 Laura Nixon 7.40-8.10 Billie Gold 8.20-8.50 Dryadic

Brockwell Park had a roof, the ecstatic response would have torn it off, and so an idea was sewn for Melanie and Sink The Pink to come back with something bigger, better and brasher than ever before.

This summer, Melanie will of course reunite with The Spice Girls for the band’s enormously-anticipated UK stadium tour (for which she is currently in rehearsals).

She is also working on brand new, completely reenergised solo material, following unexpected Next Gen co-signs ranging from global sensation Billie Eilish to hip-hop royalty Amine.

Ticketed event.

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Sunday 4th August, 2pm-midnight 2.00pm–4.00pm Line Dancing With The Cactus Club // FREE Established in 1993, The Cactus Club was London’s first gay line and partner dance club beginning at The Bell in King’s Cross with deejay Jo Purvis and instructor Peter Flockhart.

They now offer Corporate line dance lessons or Party bookings and can provide a taster in modern line dance for an adult audience - you do not need to be an LGBT group.

Come along for some FREE boot stomping fun from 2pm.

4.00pm–8.00pm QueerTown Cabaret // FREE An afternoon packed full of Queer cabaret artistes with singing, dancing, cabaret and more. Programmed by Paul Diello who also schedules QueerTown On The Park (see page x), QueerTown At The Pleasure Gardens will feature: 4.10-4.40 Alan Bonner 4.50-5.20 Unsung Lily 5.30-6.00 Marta Scott

6.10-6.40 Al Start 6.50-7.20 Bee & Jackrabbit 7.30-8.00 Hannah Brackenbury

8.00pm–12.00am BRÜT Bearfest 2019 – T-Dance & Cabaret // FREE B4 8pm It’s all about the bears, blokes, cubs and hunks as London’s hottest men-only gay club comes to the seaside for a very special Sunday Brüt BearFest T-Dance at Brighton Pride’s Pleasure Gardens.

With a line–up of international DJs, stunning performances gorgeous beats and handsome fellas, Brut’s T-Dance will quench your thirst this Pride as it delivers clubbing of the glorious kind at the centre of our Pride celebrations.

CABARET TENT DJ Liam & AMYL Stage Host : Dave the Bear Shows : Mzz Kimberly HoleStar Paul Middleton Baga Chipz

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BRUT BEAR FEST T-DANCE : 4PM -12AM DJs Paul Heron LCB Ross Jones Rob C Juliano Juliano

Brighton-Pride.org/pride-pleasure-gardens

SUSSEX.AC.UK

Image © Michelle Hui

Learn Live Love

Book online and save 10% at BritishAirwaysi360.com Photo by Kevin Meredith. Conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects

Photo

by Jim

Carey

Friday 2nd August Book now at BritishAirwaysi360.com/Pride

Pride Village Party The Pride Village Party in Brighton’s famous Kemptown when business across St James’s St and Marine Parade come together to celebrate Pride and raise extra funds for the Rainbow Fund and Social Impact Fund.

Entertainment zones, bars and venues, live performances and cabaret, DJs, drag artists, singers, performers, musicians come together for a unforgettable weekend of fundraising celebrations.

Pride Village Party Saturday 3rd August Sunday 4th August St James’s Street & Marine Parade

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Brighton & Hove Buses’ rainbow-hued Diversity Bus will once again shuttle festival-goers between the city centre and the party at Preston Park for Pride on Saturday August 3.

Metrobus special service 500 will also provide fast and frequent links between Preston Park, Old Steine and Kemp Town’s fabulous pubs, clubs and bars on Saturday afternoon and evening. The bus stops at St Peter’s Church along the way, where it’s only a short walk to Brighton Station.

Metrobus special service 600 will carry festival-goers staying at the Waterhall Campsite to and from Old Steine during Pride weekend, from Friday right up until Monday morning.

Contactless payments are now accepted on all Brighton & Hove and Metrobus buses so getting on board couldn’t be easier.

Brighton & Hove Buses’ Managing Director, Martin Harris said: “Pride is always one of the most exciting and important events of the year. We’re really pleased to partner with Pride once again so that people can move smoothly around the city and get the most out of their weekend. Happy Pride, everyone.”

Timetables will be go up on the Pride website as well as buses.co.uk and metrobus.co.uk

PRIDE COMMUNITY DAY & DOG SHOW SUNDAY 7TH JULY 2019 • 12 NOON-5PM • PRESTON PARK, BRIGHTON

Judged Novelty Classes Family Entertainment Face Painting Street Food Bar

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Pride Arts & Culture Programme Funded by

As part of a new engagement initiative in 2018, the Pride Cultural Development Fund engaged with a number of different organisations and groups across the city to present one of the biggest and most diverse exhibitions of LGBTQ+ narratives.

Located across a number of city centre venues, the Pride Cultural Development Programme included: •

Colour My World exhibitions at Jubilee Library and BMECP Centre featuring creative contributions from over 60 artists, filmmakers and activists from the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

•

‘Pride in Our Community’ Open Day at BMECP Centre with an exhibition over 2 floors, film screenings, creative workshops, a pop up kitchen, performers, artist talks and presentations.

•

Small Grants FOR community artists to participate in local 2018 Pride activities including a Trans Literary Salon, theatre performance, radio show and silent disco amongst others.

•

We funded a very exciting commission for an artist to create a brand new mural for the exterior wall of Brighton’s famous Marlborough Pub as a special feature of the Trans Pride and Pride seasons in 2018 and 2019.

•

The Pride Schools Art Challenge engaged with 64 local primary, infant and junior schools and asked them to creat a piece of art featuring what they love about Brighton & Hove. All finalists were exhibited as part of the Colour My World exhibition in the Jubilee Library and the two winning schools received £500 each.

•

The ‘Pride in Our CITY’ Exhibition at Churchill Square shopping centre during Brighton’s Photo Biennial in October featuring all the finalists in the Schools Art Challenge as well as a selction of photographs of some of the emercency services and community groups who participated in the annual Pride Community Parade.

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Pride Arts & Culture Programme Funded by

The Pride Cultural Development Fund initiative continues this year and features 2 new international exhibitions, plus a range of exciting creative projects supported by grants awarded to individuals, groups and organisations to enable them to participate in the Pride programme.

Grants to Individuals – £250 Josef Cabey // Tribute to Black LGBTQ Icons Gil Mualem-Doron // Pride Projections Alanna Blake // Allsorts in “Riot!”

Anthony Stevens // What I wanted to hear is what I want for you now Grants to Groups/Organisations The Marlborough // Marlborough Pride Season Traumfrau // Traumfrau and The Queer Songbook present: Riots Mixtape Barry & Sian // Online Sketch Series SEAS // Riot! Celebrating Stonewall Anniversary Afro Hair Academy (AHA) // Pride First Timers Spire Arts // Brighton Pride at The Spire The Postman Art // Pride Mural New Writing South // The Coast is Queer

Edu Barbeira/Stambolsky/NinYo Performance // Where Mermaids Are Born Grants to UK Artists - neXus Exhibition Estabrak Al-Ansari Gil Mualem-Doron Heather Glazzard Mrisi Future Projects A number of grants were also awarded for projects taking place later in the year and in 2020 to enable the artists and groups to develop their exciting concepts further and acquire match-funding: Afro Hair Academy (AHA) // JUXTA/Pose Exhibition & Anthology Bharat Patel // Hijdas of India

Following the amazing success of last year’s Colour My World exhibitions which showcased the work of over 60 artists, we are proudly collaborating on two new exhibitions for the 2019 Pride season - presenting local, national and international artists as part of neXus at Jubilee Library and Riot! at the BMECP Centre. neXus is a creative exchange between Brighton and Bloemfontein in South Africa - introducing the talents of four visual artists from each region exploring real and imagined social, political and cultural connections. neXus is co-curated by urbanflo creative with lead artist Vian Roos and presented as an environmental installation designed to reflect the connective motif, exchange, intersectionality and crossing cultures. Following a pilot exhibition at Vrystaat Arts Festival in Bloemfontein neXus makes it way to Brighton Pride. Vian Roos’ work will appear alongside a unique multi-disciplinary collective featuring Elliss Lewin-Turner, Estabrak Al-Ansari, Dr Gil Mualem-Doron, Heather Glazzard, Lloyd van Schalkwyk, Lyrene Kühn-Botma and Teboho Mokhothu. Other guest artists will also be invited to animate the exhibition space with their own creative responses to themes, including musician and Spoken Word artist Mrisi who will be producing a soundscape and appearing in pop-up performances. neXus | Jubilee Library | 29th July - 11th August 2019 check online for opening times.

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Pride Arts & Culture Programme Funded by

Riot! Celebrating Stonewall’s Anniversary is a co-production presented by Socially Engaged Arts Salon (SEAS) with EuroMernet and includes: •

An exhibition over 2 floors at SEAS/BMECP Centre. As last year the majority of the exhibitors will be selected from an open call for artists on the themes of Stonewall; celebration and resistance; and LGBTQ life experiences and representations.

•

A special Opening Event featuring creative workshops, film screenings, artists talks and performances with artists including Harold Hoffa who will deliver his “Snap Like a Diva” workshop. Also, Israeli transgender artist Roi-Victoria Rosen will give a talk and show their film recently screened at the Venice Biennale on the experience of transitioning when approaching middle age.

•

Film screening events about the Stonewall uprising

Riot!

BMECP Centre | 2nd - 31st August 2019 11am - 5pm daily (check online for event times).

Traumfrau and Queer songbook present: RIOTS MIXTAPE: SONGS AND STORIES OF PRIDE For Pride this year Traumfrau joins forces with The Queer Songbook for a truly original live creative party celebrating Brighton’s vibrant community and queer voices, and what Pride has meant through the decades. From the Stonewall Riots to personal stories.

The Spire, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5JN 2nd August 2019 · 7pm gig · 10pm disco traumfrau.co.uk/event/riots-mixtape

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‘RIOT ACT’ Created And Performed By Alexis Gregory Directed By Rikki Beadle-Blair Mbe ‘Riot Act’ is a powerful solo verbatim theatre piece, created entirely word-for-word out of playwright and performer Alexis Gregory’s interviews with one of the only remaining Stonewall survivors, a 1970’s London radical-drag artist and a prominent 1990’s AIDS activist, spanning six decades of queer history with each story taking us right into the present day.

The Marlborough Theatre, 4 Prince’s St, Brighton 30th July – 1st August 2019 marlboroughtheatre.org.uk/event/riot-act

p o u r i n g c h a m pa g n e s i n c e

2006

RIDDLE & FINNS

Champagne & Oyster Bar

The Lanes Brighton Beach www.riddleandfinns.co.uk

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Rainbow Fund The Rainbow Fund is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with a remit to receive donations, and to use them to give grants to LGBT and HIV groups and organisations in Brighton and Hove. They have no premises, or paid workers, so all donations can go to the good causes.

For fundraisers, whether it be local businesses and venues, or individuals, or local fundraising groups, the Rainbow Fund is a trusted and transparent way of making sure that that the funds go where they are needed, without Pride itself having to make difficult choices between competing requests for support from local organisations.

In the 29 year history of Brighton Pride, in it’s various incarnations, there has always been an element of fundraising, with varying degrees of success. As a Community Interest Company, there has been a declared intention of creating a “Pride With Purpose” with a minimum £1 from every ticket sold for the Pride Festival in Preston Park, and £1 from every wrist band sold for the Pride Village Party going directly to The Rainbow Fund for their independent grants panel to assess applications for grants.

In 2018 Grants totalling over £146,481 were awarded to local LGBT+/HIV organisations who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city.

Awards included a trail blazing investment of £25,324 in dedicated services provided to trans and non binary people in Brighton and Hove by The Clare Project, Allsorts Youth Project and My Genderation.

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Chris Gull chair of the Rainbow Fund told the audience: “I came to Brighton in 1976…convinced that I lived in a Utopia because it was at last legal for me to have sex with another man (as long as it was in private, and no more than two of us in the room). My cosy view of the world was shattered within a few years by the arrival of AIDS, and Section 28.

“As a community we worked to fight both the epidemic, and the Government. Grass roots organisations sprung up, resulting in the early incarnations of Pride, the commissioning of The Sussex Beacon and much more.

“I personally became involved with an organisation called Brighton Cares, and ended up Chairing the charity for seven years. Brighton Cares was a hardship fund for individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. We raised funds by putting on entertainment events, including one huge show each year at The Dome. Absolutely central to our fundraising then, and still nearly thirty years later, are our Drag Queens and entertainers.

“Between them they have given their time and talent absolutely free to fundraise not only for Brighton Cares, but charities in Thailand and Gran Canaria – not only for The Rainbow Fund, but for individual organisation such as Mindout, The Community Safety Forum, the Sussex Beacon and every year they donate their services free of charge to appear in the cabaret tent during Brighton Pride.”

2018 Grants Sea Serpents Rugby Football Club Grant up to £1,000 to establish a bursary fund to encourage LGBTQ+ participation in sport and address social isolation.

Rainbow Families Grant up to £1,500 for core costs, mostly venue hire for events.

My Genderation Grant up to £2,500 for seed funding film project to celebrate trans lives and experiences, plus support to source further funding to complete project.

to 30 LGBTU+ students and their allies to produce a TV series for broadcast, to be used in Schools. Latest CIC will provide Directors’ time for free, discounted studio time and technical support.

Marlborough CIC QTIPOC project Grant up to £7639, for start up funds for a new QTIPOC monthly meet up with creative workshops.

The Sussex Beacon Grant up to £7,640 for group work programme.

MenTalkHealth Grant up to £1,700 for core costs and up to £3,000 for production of 12 podcasts addressing mental health issues within the LGBTQ+ communities. Total £4,700

The Rainbow Chorus Up to £6,520 continued funding for RC+ project and up to £1,500 for outreach and support for the LGBT+ Deaf Community.

Total £8,020

Peer Action Grant up to £5,460, part funding for core costs, yoga and therapy sessions.

Older and Out Grant up to £6,000 for continued support for monthly lunch, networking and information club for LGBT+ Elders.

Lunch Positive Grant up to £5,000 for continued part funding of Friday Lunch Club: Up to £1,400 for capacity building and outreach to new members: Up to £1,550 to seedfund and support new wellbeing project: and up to £3,770 to seedfund and support new Supper club for over 50s. Total £11,720

Longhill School LGBTU group, supported

by Latest CIC Grant up to £6,870 for involvement of 20

MindOut Grant up to £4,989 for continued support for ‘Out of The Blue’, and peer support

group work: Up to £10,000 for continued support for part funding of counselling project. Total £14,989 The Clare Project Grant up to £1,700 for core costs and Up to £15,000 for capacity building, outreach and community engagement. Total £16.700 Switchboard Grant for up to £11,500 for continued support for The Rainbow Café LGBTQ Dementia project: Up to £7,000 for seed funding and support for new “Grief Encounters” LGBTQ+ Bereavement project.

Total £18.500 Allsorts Youth Project £6,124 grant for continued support for Transformers and other trans specific youth group work and up to £13,778 for LGBTQ+ youth group work, particularly around mental health and well being. Total £19.902 The Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum Grant up to £5,265 for volunteer and wellbeing training for Community Safety Forum and Rainbow Hub in their new shared premises on St James Street: Up to £15,076 continued support for The Next Step project. Total £20,341

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Pride Social Impact Fund In 2018, community groups, charities and sports clubs were among dozens of organisations to benefit from more than £45,000 of grants gifted under the banner of the Pride Social Impact Fund (SIF).

In what has been a record-breaking year, the independent panel were overwhelmed with the number of bids received which ranged from projects to support the vulnerable to residents wanting to brighten up their streets.

After much consideration 40 bids were deemed successful – with funding awarded to improve parks and open spaces, run community festivals and get togethers, support days out for lowincome families and provide equipment for sports teams.

Tim Ridgway, chairman of the Social Impact Fund, said: “This has once again been a record-breaking year for the Social Impact Fund with more people than ever benefitting from money raised at what has become an incredibly successful community event.

“With the fund oversubscribed, making decisions on individual bids was not an easy process. But those groups who have been awarded money will ensure that the legacy of Pride is farreaching, extending to all corners of the city.

“The panel also wants to thank the organisers of Pride for topping up the funds so that a record amount of funding was available.

“This investment back into our community will make a huge difference to thousands of individuals across Brighton and Hove ensuring that the positive impact of Pride extends beyond one weekend a year.”

Launched in 2016, the Pride Social Impact Fund has now distributed more than £80,000 to groups across the city.

Projects put forward do not have to be LGBT related; they don’t even have to directly-linked to Pride. The only criteria is that it will brighten up people’s lives by the time Pride comes round again next year.

Funding comes from contributions made by businesses within

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the Pride Village Party in the St James’s Street area, as well as ticket sales from Pride and the LoveBN1 festival.

The panel was made up of representatives from media organisations across the city including The Argus, BBC Sussex, Latest TV, Brighton and Hove Independent, Sussex Life, Brighton and Hove News, Capital Brighton and GScene.

This year, the panel considered bids of more than £1,000 but only granted funds if they overwhelmingly met the panel’s criteria.

Among the largest grants to be awarded this year include £5,000 for three bids from the Friends of Preston Park. A bid of £1,600 was also granted to Light Up St James’s Street, with the aim of improving and installing new illuminations in the area; while £3,000 gifted to the St James’s Street Community Action Group will pay for new planters in the area.

Among others to benefit from the fund include Hangleton Food Bank (£500 for top up vouchers), Tarner Community Project (£1,000 to run summer holiday events for young people and the Why Not Club (£520 to fund a weekly breakfast club for the street community in Brighthelm Park).

Community events were also backed with £500 awarded towards reviving the Patcham Duck Fayre festival, £1,000 allocated to Bevfest in Bevendean and £500 gifted to CASE to fund a science festival for families on low income in Hollingdean.

Among the charities to benefit include Dolphin House, who were awarded £400 towards redecorating its therapy room; Stay Up Late, who have been given £1,000 to run a gig buddies scheme; and Carousel, who will receive £888 to buy an iPad and iPencil to allow learning disabled adults and children to engage in the arts.

Sports clubs will also benefit as £1,000 was awarded to buy kit for Crew Club United, a youth football club in east Brighton; £400 granted to Preston Bowls Club to boost participation among younger members; and Preston Park Youth Cycle Club receiving £1,000 towards the construction of a concrete ramp and tarmac path at Preston Park velodrome.

2018 Grants Dolphin House £400 towards the redecorating, supply of soft furnishings and art materials to therapy room Brighton and Hove Housing Coalition £1,000 towards core funding for a community campaign group to lobby on improvements to all aspects of housing across the city Preston Bowls Club £400 to support wider promotion of four open days to encourage younger audience to take up bowls Stay Up Late £1,000 to support and expand the Wild Rainbows gig buddies scheme Patcham Duck Fayre £500 towards the running the community event Norfolk Square Group £1,000 towards providing community planters and supporting a gardening group for a public open space Friends of Preston Park Bid one – £2000 for a new wooden picnic table and bench Bid two – £2,000 for five new bins for the park Bid three – £1,000 to host a Easter Egg hunt for families

Easthill Park in Portslade over the next 12 months.

Gardens (provisional providing relevant consents are met)

Crew Club United £1,000 towards buying kit for a youth football team based in Whitehawk. Some funds subsidised the cost of allowing the side play and attend a three-day youth tournament at Butlins.

Community, Advice, Support and Education (CASE) £500 to fund a science festival for families on low income in Hollingdean

Mixed Blessings Theatre Group £600 to support an all-inclusive theatre group to tour Son of an African, a new production of work, around Sussex

Friends of Regency Square £200 towards creating a permanent community heritage exhibition of old photos, prints, postcards and memories of Regency Brighton to coincide with 200 years of Regency Square.

Sing for Better Health £1,000 towards running the weekly singing group for older people at Elizabeth Court in Hove

Hangleton Food Bank £500 to provide clients a one-off £10 supermarket voucher to ‘top-up’ the essential items which are not donated

The Other Screen £1,000 towards running open, accessible film screenings and events which explore, discuss and challenge the representation of disabled people

Tarner Community Project £1,000 to run summer holiday events for young people attending youth club events

Trust for Developing Communities £200 towards buying equipment and resources to support the youth work of the 67 Centre in Moulsecoomb Friends of Farm Green £900 towards the construction and installation of new thermoplastic activity markings for a new playground in Farm Green, Lower Bevendean

Green Centre £650 towards the conversion of the upper deck of an education bus to host exhibitions and workshops on One Planet initiatives

Moulsecoomb Forest Garden £1,000 to buy pond dipping kit and other equipment to allow young people to get closer to wildlife

Young People’s Centre £1,000 towards a specific project – TBC

Carousel £888 to buy an iPad and iPencil to allow learning disabled adults and children to engage in the arts and develop talents has been successful.

Bevendean Chomp £1,000 towards community lunch club which supports up to 50 people twice a week. This includes a summer trip to Drusillas for families on low incomes.

Light Up St James’s Street £1,600 to buy and install new lights for trees and lampposts in St James’s Street Moulsecoomb and Bevendean Community Volunteers £780 for community cooking equipment and a community celebration to coincide with the installation of the new playground in Bevendean in February.

Bevfest £1,000 to pay for stage hire and essential costs of a community festival Bees in the Woods Forest School £960 to pay for five older people and their carers to attend forest school sessions in

Quiet Down There CIC £865 towards offering 2 local schools (60 children) a residency in the market (£540) and holding 10 community lunches for 100 people (£325) St James’s Street Community Action Group Bid one – £1,000 towards providing materials for new flower beds at the corner of St James Street and Rock Gardens by the side of St Mary’s Church Bid two – £1,000 towards restoring a section of garden beds in Dorset Gardens Bid three – £1,000 to provide materials and flowers for seven planters in St James’s Street area and add one or two more street planters to the district Kingscliffe Society £10,794 for new outdoor gym in Dorset

Why Not Club £520 to fund a weekly breakfast club in Brighthelm Park for the street community Audioactive £480 towards providing kit for Room to Rant, which provides music workshops for young men in a YMCA Supported Housing setting in Brighton and Hove (tbc) Small Performance Adventure with Creative Cascade Recovery £800 to go towards the travel costs and venue hire to support up to 100 people in addiction recovery take part in drama workshops.

4Streets £250 to purchase large outdoor screen to support community cinema events. This will be held by Pride as a community resource which can be booked out by community groups across the city.

Sussex Cycle Racing League £500 towards a new storage shed at Preston Park velodrome Preston Park Youth Cycle Club £1,000 towards the construction of a concrete ramp and tarmac path at Preston Park velodrome to support a range of cycling activities Little Green Pig £1,000 to support filming of a production of Voices, a story about young people’s experiences which will be form part of Brighton Festival 2019 St Peter’s Womens and Girls Cricket Club £672 to provide matching kit (complete with SIF logo) for the team

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media

The Ivy in the Lanes, Brighton is open seven days a week, offering sophisticated and friendly all-day dining.

An atmospheric setting featuring Brighton-inspired artwork, including pieces depicting the pier, sea life and Brighton beach, all set against a backdrop of leather banquettes, a striking onyx bar and pendant lighting.

Offering a selection of all-encompassing menus, serving breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, light snacks and dinner. An enticing cocktail list sits alongside the dining menu, featuring a choice of traditional and contemporary bespoke cocktails. In addition The Tidal Room, a decadent private dining room, provides the perfect setting for breakfast, lunch or dinner seating up to 20 guests, 40 guests canapĂŠ receptions.

To make a reservation call: 01273 082 200 Email: events@theivy-collection.com theivybrighton.com The Ivy in the Lanes, 51a Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF 66

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@theivybrighton

/theivybrighton

Pride Partners

Our Partners share many things in common. Most importantly we share a passion for Brighton Pride and it’s ethos of equality and the celebration of diversity.

Brighton Pride CIC relies on sponsorship revenues to help fund our events that fundraise for the Rainbow Fund for whom we have raised over ÂŁ705,000 in the last six years.

The range of Brighton Pride events offer brands and corporate partners excellent opportunities to support the LGBTQ community but to also reach and target engaged consumers in large numbers across multiple platforms.

We can deliver varied campaigns for brands with different objectives that include sampling, engagement, branding, direct response and even direct sales. We offer campaigns that can run all year long or focus activity during the Festival weekend.

Our dedicated commercial partnership team will work with prospective partners and their agencies to deliver with our wealth of experience of working with everyone from major financial brands like American Express, to travel companies like Virgin Holidays, large consumer companies like Unilever or local businesses, ensuring the team provide the best possible return on investment for partners of all sizes.

Opportunities are available at all investment levels including headline partner, premium partner and partner levels. We offer set packages or we can create bespoke offers.

If you are interested in becoming a Pride sponsorship partner, please visit our website.

Brighton-Pride.org/partners

PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN

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Free to be you Everyone’s welcome at Bupa Global We celebrate diversity, welcoming people from all backgrounds. That’s why we’re proud to support Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 – for our customers, our colleagues and for the whole LGBTQI+ community.

#BeYouAtBupa

Want to join us? Find out more at bupaglobal.com/careers 68

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