Significant anniversaries in 2022: 50th anniversary of the UK’s first official Pride march – 1 July 2022

2022 is a special year as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first official UK Pride march which was held in London on 1 July 1972. The Pride movement, and events like the London in Pride march, were inspired and influenced by the Stonewall riots. These were protests that took place in the United States in 1969 and were a catalyst for change in the fight for equality for LGBT+ people worldwide.

At the time of the first official UK Pride march, LGBT+ people in the UK faced discrimination from many people and institutions, and were even discriminated against in law. For example, in 1972 gay and bi-sexual people were not allowed in the armed forces, and gay marriage was not legal – this did not change until 2000 and 2013 respectively...