Brighton Pride: From protests to one of UK's biggest LGBTQ+ events
Brighton Pride is celebrating its 35th anniversary, reflecting on its evolution from a protest against Section 28 to a major commercial event. While organizers highlight the event's growth, some community members express concern over its increasing commercialization and ticket costs.
Why it matters
The debate reflects broader tensions in social movements regarding the balance between accessibility, activism, and commercial sustainability.
Image source, Sara Smith / BBC Image caption, Alf Le Flohic said the 1991 Pride march was about being visible and was a celebration of the LGBTQ+ identity
As Brighton Pride marks 35 years, those who were there in 1991 have been reflecting on how a small demonstration became one of the UK's biggest annual LGBTQ+ events.
The first marches protested against Section 28 , a controversial law introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government that banned councils and schools from promoting homosexuality , external .
Campaigners later transformed their demonstrations into Pride marches which not only challenged the law but also celebrated identity.
But some members of the LGBTQ+ community have claimed Brighton Pride has become too commercial and lost its meaning in recent years.
One man previously told the BBC that Pride had become a "massive money-making exercise" and that its "expensive" ticketed events excluded those on low incomes.
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