Pride in Hull (UK Pride)

During the second annual U.K. Pride Organisers' Conference, held in Birmingham on 8 and 9 October, delegates from the organising committees of pride events across the UK designated Pride in Hull 2017 the first ever ‘UK pride’.

Representing Pride in Hull, Trustee and Vice Chair Andy Train attended the conference and successfully made the case for making Hull the inaugural UK Pride during the city’s reign as UK City of Culture next year.

Andy said: “Much like how EuroPride is the focus of the European pride calendar, we’re confident that the title of UK Pride will enhance the event given the honour each year by attracting additional funding and promotion. This will bring even more people to the city during Hull's premier lgbt+ celebration.”

Plans were already underway for a larger Pride celebration for the city in 2017, which will expand beyond the traditional one-day festival into a wide reaching programme of events spread across a whole week, covering a range of subjects and artforms.

Andy continued: “This is such a tremendous accolade for us in Hull, especially with an enhanced Pride celebration event planned for 22 July in Queens Gardens during our UK City of Culture year. Many of the other conference delegates are planning to join us for the whole week which will see some of the events focussing on the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality".

At the same meeting Trustee and Vice Chair of Pride in Hull, Andy Train was elected to the position of Co-Chair with Steve Taylor from Pride in London.  Andy said, "It's an important time for our national network as we set out to connect all pride events throughout the UK in order to grow and develop. We are also linking in with our European colleagues at the European Pride Organisers’ Network and Interpride who do the same world wide."

Pride in Hull is working with the Hull UK City of Culture team and is part of the Freedom season of the 2017 programme.