Guiding Pride Birmingham Pride 2016

After going to Birmingham Pride in 2015 I jumped at the opportunity to go again.


The most surreal experience of the day (which is saying something considering some of the fetish costumes about) was at 8am a bus load of Japanese tourists stopped off at Victoria Square, took lots of photos and disappeared again -  3 hours early for good photos I thought!  Bizarre, I had no idea Birmingham was on the tourist trail!

Anyhoo - back to Pride - this time Guiding went bigger and we went in the parade for the first time. Initially I had said I wouldn't be in the parade and was happy to stay behind and look after the stall.  But on the day it was clear there were enough people already looking after the stall and not being gay wasn't an issue, being happy to be there with pride of our inclusion and diversity was ok too. 

What an amazing time it was. The crowds in places were 10 or more deep on both sides of the road watching. I danced and blew my whistle the whole route. 

Whilst Guiding had a fantastic turn out with 22, the Scouts had lots more there and some on stilts.  We shared a stall with them for the day.  

 They were a nice bunch.

The effort so many made to be stunning on the day was incredible.  The time it must take to be so glamorous so early in the day.  It left me in awe.

 Some didn't sit the subtle side of glamour.

 Some were just magnificant

 And others fell closer to my definition of weird.


But that is exactly what the day is for.


Fun.

 The media gave us a lot of attention, we were interviewed by 2 radio stations and by BBC TV.  

Very positive for us.

But mostly I just had an absolute ball.

I am so proud of how far our country has come in the past decade with diversity, inclusion, acceptance and law changes.

There was even one very public marriage proposal and one of the men was in a full white wedding gown (and not because of the proposal - that was sheer luck)

I made some new friends and I am very happy to have been able to catch up with an old friend.

Guiding offers amazing opportunities to be part of things I could never otherwise have been.

I am so lucky.