Bolton is the latest town to join LGBT, with pride

In many cities, LGBT parades already move freely, but only now is Bolton, a town that’s seen a rise in homophobia, going with the flow.

Bolton in Greater Manchester is set to join the hundreds of cities around the world that host gay pride events (AFP/Getty)

Since its inception some 45 years ago the Gay Pride movement has embraced countries across the world. From Hong Kong to Hungary, Japan to Taiwan, the gatherings have gained in number and strength, turning cities into seas of solidarity with waves of rainbow flags.

Now, another town joins in for the first time. Bolton might be only a stone’s throw from Manchester, whose Pride parades are famous for their carnival atmosphere and 100,000-strong crowds, but the town is eager to host its own event.

“Manchester Pride is great, but some people go just to have a party and see Dannii Minogue,” says Bolton Pride organiser, the performer – and columnist for The Bolton News – James Edgington. “That’s fine, but there’s also an educational and awareness element. That’s what we want to have here in Bolton.”

Edgington’s emphasis on education is understandable; Bolton saw a 135 per cent rise in homophobic hate crimes in the year-on-year figures published in April. It was this that inspired him to plan the event in the first place. “It was a shocking statistic for me,” recalls Edgington, “And although the police believe it is because more people are reporting crimes, it still puts Bolton on the map in a bad way.”

Within hours of announcing the Pride Weekend support started pouring in, from members of the public as well as actors such as Christopher Eccleston and Jo Joyner, both of whom made video messages using the line “Love Bolton, hate homophobia”.

It was then that Sir Ian McKellen, Bolton Pride’s guest of honour – and a former pupil at Bolton School – got involved. “He sent us a message out of nowhere asking if he could help,” says Edgington. “He’s lived through homosexuality being illegal, he co-founded Stonewall and of course he’s from Bolton, so it’s just ideal.”

Bolton’s Pride begins with a “Football vs. Homophobia” inter-school tournament today, and the Bolton Pride Dinner tomorrow.

“Unlike with some Prides there will be a lot of non-LGBT people at the dinner, which is a great audience for Sir Ian,” explains Edgington, “He’s such an eloquent speaker, and I know his words will have a huge impact.” The events have been funded by donations and gifts from the community. “People’s kindness has been incredible,” says Edgington.

“As soon as I heard about it I asked how I could help,” says Dawn Price from the Blind Tiger bar which is hosting a pre-Pride event. “We just want Bolton to be a place where people feel safe being themselves.” It hasn’t all been plain sailing though, with a number of aggressive comments left on the group’s social media pages. “It can be a bit heartbreaking, but it fuels me to keep going,” says Edgington.

While most Prides are known for their parades, Bolton has opted instead for a candlelit vigil, which will head across town on the closing night. “We wanted to include a parade, which is an important part of Pride’s history, and this felt like the most family-friendly way of doing it.”

When I ask Edgington what his goals are for Bolton Pride he doesn’t hesitate: “We want Bolton be a friendly, safe and accepting place, where LGBT people don’t have to jump on the next train to Manchester.”

As the big weekend draws closer it’s clear how excited Edgington is, but also how surprised he is to be at the helm: “I never thought in a million year I would run a pride, I was never an activist, and I’ve always had it easy. But I’ve learnt so much about other people’s struggles, and how far we still have to go. We’ve got to create a Pride legacy here in Bolton. This weekend is just the beginning.”

boltonpride.com

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