Gay Pride Fancy Dress

Gay Outfits

The month of June is Gay Pride month which is also known as LGBT pride (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender.) It commemorates the Stonewall Riots which took place in June 1969 and were seen as the turning point for gay liberation and the start of the fight for gay and lesbian rights in America. The Stonewall Inn was a regular drinking establishment for the gay and transgender community and police raids on the bar were frequent because of this. A backlash occurred and the community started uncontrollable riots. A gay activist organisation was formed in New York and more quickly spread across the country. The first Gay Pride Parades took place in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles and now happen all around the world at the end of June.

The common symbol of Gay Pride is the rainbow flag and rainbow colours in general. At the marches you will see many people wearing the bright colours and gay pride fancy dress costumes, many holding banners to demonstrate their cause and display the political motivation behind these events. There are even carnival style floats decorated in rainbows with dancers and drag queen providing entertainment. In the United Kingdom our parades are mainly held in London, Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester. The events have a Mardi Gras feel and are a huge celebration of gay equality. Similar to a festival; many parades include music concerts, alcohol stands, food stalls, and fun contests. The biggest parade was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2009 with an estimated 3.2 million people attending. This year the London parade takes place on Saturday the 28^th of June 2014, Liverpool and Brighton on Saturday the 2^nd of August, and Manchester on Saturday the 23^rd of August. So be sure to have your gay pride costumes ready!