Don’t hide, get involved in Exeter Pride!

Saturday  March 23 will see a 50 metre long rainbow flag feature as part of the parade from Exeter High Street to the Phoenix.

Firefighters, officers from Devon and Cornwall Police, students from Exeter University and unions and LGBT groups from across the South West will all be taking part in the parade through the city centre, along with Morris dancers and other musical entertainment.

The events running from 2pm will range from Zumba, face painting and pole dancing to knitting, a penalty shoot-out competition and vocal harmony singing. DJs and live bands will play throughout the afternoon and into the evening, when acoustic singing will be held in a marquee from 6pm until late.

There will be more live music at the Phoenix 7-11:45pm, and if you’ve got a pride wristband you can join the club night from midnight to 2am. More information on obtaining a wristband can be found at http://www.exeterpride.co.uk/wristband-offers . Participating venues confirmed so far include The Vaults, Oddfellows, John Gandys and The Old Firehouse.

Thanks to sponsors, volunteers and trustees, the event is free, and Exeter University have done their bit to support the event. The Guild have created a timetable of events, commenting that “The intention is that we will use the week to build Pride on campus – Pride in being part of an inclusive community that challenges homophobia and celebrates diversity. The Pride flag will ‘fly’ in the Forum all week to provide a strong visual reference for the activities.”

So what can you get involved in? Celebrations kick off on Thursday 21st March, with pride ribbon cutting and student performances in the Forum from 12-2:30pm. There will also be a series of mini-lectures in A&V, Devonshire House on topics such as homophobic hate crime and the Equality Act. Friday 22nd March will feature the Pride Emporium in the Forum 11am-2pm, where you can explore stalls for student groups and outside agencies, enjoy Pride cookies and cakes and learn about social justice campaigning groups.

After the main event on Saturday 23, Pride will conclude with a candlelit vigil on Sunday evening.

Alan Quick, chairman of the Exeter Pride committee, said: “This will be Exeter’s biggest pride event and we expect to attract hundreds of people to the city from around the South West and beyond.”

To find out more, head over to the website, check out the Facebook or follow @exeterpride on Twitter.