We went to Mablethorpe’s first ever Pride celebration and I made a new top in honour of the event to wear my flag in the open. I didn’t want “explicit” flag material but I loved this loop-back lycra from Knighton Fabrics and it’s the right colours, whilst being wearable outside of pride parties too.
I also made matching scrunchies!
Pride was special and I want to save for posterity what I wrote on my personal instagram:
Mablethorpe had its first ever pride event this weekend. I made a top specially for it and then I had feelings.
It was chucking it down with rain and yet everyone was having a great time, with drag queens performing, dancers spilling across the road, street performers milling around and rainbows as far as the eye could see.
Shops I’d have dropped my girlfriend’s hand to enter 15 years ago were there flying flags. The high street – where we had had harassment and comments thrown at us somewhat regularly – was absolutely draped with bunting. Pubs I’d never have dared enter with a same sex partner were advertising drag nights. Queens were walking down the street in full diamanté tasselled bikinis at 3pm.
There were so many young people with their personal flags wrapped around their shoulders, faces painted and glitter everywhere. People in their trans and NB and lesbian and bi flags and just rainbows wherever you looked.
I stood watching the stage surrounded by a crowd of people there all celebrating and then I cried. Maybe those teenagers are having a different experience than I did. Maybe it’s okay. Maybe it is getting better.
Pride is a celebration of queer people’s right to exist freely, and I felt that yesterday in my core. The LGBTQ+ community still has barriers to overcome, and festival days don’t change the need for genuine equality and legislative commitment to protecting that right to exist and live and love as we want to. But representation matters, and I never even imagined I’d see it in sleepy little Mablethorpe. I’ve been to pride events across the country, in Edinburgh and London and towns in between, but this one hit different.
Matt kindly bought me the tie-dye commemorative tshirt and I hope this feeling of joy and peace comes every time I put it on.
Happy Pride Month, lovelies.
💖💜💙