Pride in London will commemorate the 50th anniversary of 1972’s historic march by retracing its route during this year’s celebrations.
It will commence at Hyde Park Corner and end at Whitehall Place, it was confirmed in an announcement on 6 April.
The route will see those participating pass historic LGBTQ+ sites in the capital, including Trafalgar Square which was the terminus for the 1972 march.
“For fifty years, Pride has been a visible cultural protest that brings the LGBT+ community and its allies together in solidarity,” said Christopher Joell-Deshields, Executive Director of Pride in London. “It is important to recognise the activists who were brave enough to come out in 1972 to march for our liberation and pave the way for the rights we enjoy today. Early organisers took inspiration from the US civil rights group, the Black Panthers, a reminder that despite their differences there was a collective fight for the oppressed.”
Pride in London has already received almost 40,000 applications for the event, which marks its first since 2019 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parade is back! We're proud to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first march in 1972 by tracing the route of the original march. Read more: https://t.co/uxQkOdQbge
— Pride in London (@PrideInLondon) April 6, 2022
Andrew Lumsden, one of the original members of the Gay Liberation Front, added: “Taking the same route that we marched along in 1972 is a historic statement of how far we have come.
“Pride began all those years ago as a way for us to come out to society and ourselves, and be loud and proud about our LGBT+ identity.”
As well as celebrating the community, Pride in London is also calling on the government to implement an array of measures to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
These include a comprehensive ban of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ and reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
Pride in London is set to take place on 2 July and the full route is available here.
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