“What a day. What a moment”: Bath celebrates first Pride event with overwhelming support

• Watch Max Walsh's report here.

Organisers of Bath’s first Pride event say they were “blown away” by the amount of people who attended a march through the city.

Hundreds of people joined in the procession which celebrated the LGBTQ+ community but which also campaigned for more acceptance and tolerance.

The event was organised by a small number of volunteers who said the city was “long overdue” for a Pride event.

Organiser Claire Warner said: “Wow. What a day. What a moment. That march was ridiculous. That level of support from the city - from everyone who came to March, but also just everyone on the sidewalks and the waving and cheering. It was a really positive reception.”

People gathered for a picnic in front of the Holburne Museum in Sydney Gardens before marching through Bath’s city centre.

Chants of “Who’s streets? Our streets” were shouted across the city along with calls for improved transgender rights.

Nik Jovcic-Sas, who led the march, said this was a big moment for the Bath. He grew up in rural Somerset and experienced homophobic attitudes from a young age.

He said: “I think Bath can be a very liberal city, but sometimes it's not the most progressive place. And I think what we really want to do with Bath Pride is create something that grows and builds and highlights the voices of local LGBTQ+ individuals so that we can really say - this city is our home.”

Organisers hope this is the start of an annual tradition which brings together the whole of Bath’s queer community, but also highlights some of the discrimination that still exists.