Hastings Pride gets off to an early start tomorrow, August 26 with the parade starting at 10am from Cornwallis Street car park.
Celebrations for Hastings Pride began on August 20, and will culminate with a parade and festival event tomorrow, Sunday, August 26, starting at 10am, sporting the theme Space and Aliens.
So why Space and Aliens? Organisers say in the last twelve months, there has been a rise in hate crime in Hastings along with a movement to exclude trans people from social spaces.
The Government’s LGBT survey shows how LGBT communities are treated by society and in summing up the survey, Stonewall the equality charity say: “Laws have improved, and attitudes have changed but our society still treats LGBT people like second-class citizens.”
A spokesperson for Hastings Pride says: “Breaking down social barriers lays at the heart of why we felt a Hastings Pride was needed because so many things could be better for so many of us who live here and in the surrounding areas.
“The one thing that all the issues we are highlighting have in common is ‘xenophobia’. Often xenophobia is talked about in terms of the hatred of other races or aliens, but its literal meaning is the fear of strangers. It is the fear of people who others do not know or understand which has led to the rise in hate crime.”
The Pride parade will start from Cornwallis Street car park next to the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre at 10am, progressing along the seafront to the festival site at the south end of the Oval where there will be a wellbeing area offering help, support and information on issues affecting LGBT+ people in the Hastings area and stalls offering respite and care.
In addition there will be an array of food stalls and community stalls and the relaxing Pride Owl & Pussycat Bar. There will be much more for younger people to enjoy this year with rides and carnival activities.
For details of performers appearing on the Star Base Beta stage, click here.
Hasting Pride remains free, but relies on donations to pay the bills, to donate, click here:
Optivo, On the Rocks and Substance have been confirmed as sponsors again this year.
For a complete programme of events for Hastings Pride, click here:
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