Candle-lit vigil for LGBTQ+ struggle at closing of Newcastle Pride festival
A candle-lit vigil was held in Newcastle to symbolise the struggle faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Northern Pride continued its tradition of closing the Pride weekend the vigil at Grey's Monument on Sunday night, July 25.
A number of guest speakers reflected on the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the challenges it has overcome while there were performances from Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Tipps and soul singer Jackson Soul & Yousef.
People gathered at Grey's Monument for the vigil
Ste Dunn, director at Northern Pride, said: “While the festival is great fun and a celebration of the successes of the Pride movement, it’s also important to take a moment to reflect on the challenges still to face and the people we have lost over the years."
While the festival took place online, the event was the charity's first face-to-face occasion since March 2020.
Those at the vigil heard from representatives of Northern Pride, Northern Lights Metropolitan Community Church, LGBT Northern Social Group and Be Trans Support and Community.
Other organisations making speeches at the event include Stand Up to LGBT+ Hate Crime North East, ATMOS Education, North East Against Racism and National Education Union.
Northern Pride Online 2.1 took place from Saturday.
It was hosted by award winning presenter Gok Wan and queen of comedy Miss Rory, with renowned DJ Jodie Harsh headlining.
A number of venues across the region were streaming the show and it was also available online via Northern Pride’s Facebook and Youtube channel.