UK Black Pride was held on Sunday 26, June 2016 at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London, with the theme “Transforming Our Community”. It was a blast with positive vibrations, diversity and thousands of vibrant people.

It was such a joy to be at UK Black Pride, 2016. It was fun in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with lots of foods and drinks to share, great music, great dance steps, lots of twerking and yeah, sexy, lovely people! LGBT BMEs do know how to party!

Did someone say “Why Black Pride?”

UK Black Pride mission statement states–

UK Black Pride promotes unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.

The organisation is committed to producing an annual celebration of “Black Pride”, as well as organising a variety of activities throughout the year in and around the UK which also promote and advocate for the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health and well-being of all related communities. Our aim is to foster, present and celebrate Black LGBT culture through education, the arts, cultural events and advocacy.

UK Black Pride has as part of its vision –

Advocacy- We aim to raise awareness around the experiences of UK’s Black LGBT community and will advocate and make contributions to the general community from Black LGBT perspectives.

Growth – UK Black Pride is an organisation that fosters a positive ethos to ensure that Black LGBT talent and achievements are promoted. We will seek to accomplish our vision and in doing so will also attract others who see and want to be a part of this vision.

There were lots of LGBT BMEs talents who performed and took the UK Black Pride stage by storm.  Such talents would not have a shot to perform on the stage at the main London Pride event.

It is no secret that the main London Pride event is majorly run by white men who might not have an idea or refuse to understand how to better represent multiracial, multicultural, diverse London on London Pride main stage.

I love London pride and I hope as time goes on, its leadership would become more inclusive and more representative of the diverse LGBT community in London.

While I always strive to attend London pride, march in its parade and join the entertainment at Trafalgar square, I feel so much more at home and relaxed at UK Black Pride.

Probably due to the colour of my skin and the assumption that I must be an immigrant or wandering tourist, I am often asked by random Pride attendees during London Pride parade if I was attending my first Pride parade. I don’t get such questions from people at UK Black Pride. I was not made to feel or treated consciously or unconsciously as an outsider.

UK Black Pride feels like home and it feels like family.  I can easily relate with the performers and entertainers on the stage. And the music. oh, yeah, it feels so good when popular African tunes blast from the stage and everyone screams and instantly starts doing a coordinated group dance. It is nostalgic and so beautiful. It feels so good to see Black Minority Ethnic lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans and queers enjoy themselves with no reservation and with pure joy on their faces.

We need our black LGBT spaces. When racists, supremacists look down on us and cynically ask “Why Black Pride?”, I just say – Well, it’s because We Can and because We Rock It. Get It or Get Over It! 

Kudos to the Executive Director of UK Black Pride, Lady Phyll Opoku, and her lovely team for all the wonderful work and selfless service to our community. Thanks for not allowing the haters to get us down.  Solidarity forever!