2006 – The First Stoke Pride
The first attempt to organise a Pride event in Stoke-on-Trent was in 1998 when the North Staffs Lesbian and Gay Community forum announced plans to hold a gala event, but in the end it did not go ahead. Five years later in 2003 another attempt to organise a Stoke Pride was abandoned due to fears of a homophobic backlash following opposition from local residents and BNP Councillors.
Despite the hostility various events were organised by community activists in the years that followed until in 2006 The Club and Three Tuns along with other established venues hosted the “Big Pink Car Park” event. This was the first community event that could properly be called Stoke Pride.
The following year the success was repeated with another Pride themed as “Stoke’s Gay Sunday”.
In 2008 Stoke Pride was officially endorsed by the Local Authority but still took place on a car park in Hanley. The theme was “Clubbers Paradise” (photos below)
The following year, in 2009, Pride move to Northwood Park which is where it took place each year until 2016 when the event became too big and moved to Hanley Park. (Photos below of Stoke Pride 2009)
We would love to hear from anyone that has memories, photographs or publicity material from early Pride events to help us expand this article.
Find Out More …
Read about the gay festival planned in 1998 If this had gone ahead it would have been Stoke’s first gay pride.
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 an archived BBC report about Pride in 2008
(Photo credit: BBC News Stoke and Staffordshire)
Read the full timeline of Stoke-on-Trent Pride
Read about the 1969 Stonewall Riots and the Birth of Pride
