1998 – Planning a Gay Festival
Evening Sentinel Newspaper – Around early Feb 1998 (exact date unkown)
In early 1998 the North Staffs Lesbian and Gay Community forum announced plans to hold a gala event that would have been Stoke-on-Trent’s first Pride if it had gone ahead. The plans were part of concerted efforts to improve the general public’s attitude towards the LGBT+ community. Mike Wolfe, later to become Stoke’s first elected Mayor, bravely fronted the public announcements on behalf of the forum. As you will see from the news clippings below the planned event attracted a great deal of controversy in the local press but also garnered support.
Although the event did not go ahead the debate it provoked was perhaps a necessary step along the path towards our local population accepting a local Pride event. This path was not straightforward, another attempt to organise a Stoke Pride was abandoned in 2003, and the first event that could properly be called Stoke Pride did not take place until 2006.
Press Reports that followed the initial announcement
The Sentinel – 17th Feb 1998.
The initial press coverage (above) was positive, the response that followed a few days later less so (see below). The second article that followed a few days later published letters that included “Furious at Festival” and “Homosexuality Evil”. Three letters mentioned Mike Wolfe in negative terms and one specifically and personally attacked him in his role at CAB. Two letters set out positive support for the plans so it was reasonably balanced.
However, a few days later regular columnist John Abberley published a universally negative opinion piece. Abberley was well known in this period for his rhetoric against the LGBT+ community. His “long held view” was that gays and lesbians should be free to do whatever they wish in private but not flaunt themselves in public – an opinion that was typical of anti LGBT sentiments in this period. The headline about a Pride event bringing “Shame on decent city” is hard to comprehend in our modern era where Pride is accepted and celebrated.
The Sentinel – 19th Feb 1998.
Evening Sentinel – 20th Feb 1998
Evening Sentinel – Feb 1998
A letter strongly condemning the event was signed by ten church leaders. A further article was published clarifying that funding for the event had not yet been identified.
Evening Sentinel – 27th Feb 1998
The Sentinel published letters of support a week later responding to an “attack by ten church leaders” opposing the gay festival. In the end the festival did not go ahead, probably because there was no source of funding but perhaps also because of the obstacles presented by public opposition.
Find Out More …
Read more about the Pride event that was cancelled in 2003 due to a public homophobic backlash and fears for the safety of those involved.
Read about the first event that could properly be called Stoke-on-Trent Pride including some photos of early Pride events
Copyright Notice
The newspaper cuttings featured here have been compiled by the posts author, Andrew Colclough, from archived materials as part of his personal research into local LGBT+ history. I am grateful to Maurice Greenham for access to materials in archives he currently holds and for drawing attention to this important piece of our early history. Copyright belongs to the newspapers that published the articles. The news cuttings have been shared here by this post’s author, Andrew Colclough, on the basis of fair personal/non commercial use.