My first pride parade! ^^

Okay, wow, today was busy! I attended my first protest: Nottingham Pride 2025. I’m going to try and cover everything, so in sensibility I’m going to work through it chronologically.

Starting the day, me and my friend arrived on the bus at 10:00, which was when online said to be to start gathering for the parade/march… we were so early. So to make up the time, we wandered around while it was quiet-ish and had a look to see what there was.

We wandered down towards where it would be starting, and towards all the event staff having their prebriefing. This is when one of the first moments of the day happened. An unhoused man walks over to me and my friend and starts talking to us. Thinking back on it, my heart absolutely breaks for him, one of the sweetest souls dealt such an unlucky hand. He high-fives both of us and starts telling us to enjoy our day here. He wishes us well in life as we, presumably the youth, are very important (I am just as surprised as you!) which was very kind of him—I only wish the same in his future. Then he starts talking on some semi-related note that I didn’t catch about the movie plot of ‘Big’… the one starring Tom Hanks…I won’t recite it here because it’s literally just the plot, not too interesting (is any of this?). Then he broke the remnants of my heart by offering me the coins he had in his hand, of which I had to immediately decline because I can’t take any of the few coins this poor guy has, but it was as a token of good luck. So, I learned that when life gets you down, his wisdom is to hold a coin or two tightly in your hand. Was meeting him lucky? Did I just meet an angel?

Anyways. We wandered a little bit but didn’t stray too far because people finally began gathering! Well, this seems like good news. (In fact, it was. We saw so many jaw-dropping outfits and there were various companies and groups, quite a few separate dancing and drumming groups, a drag queen, and I think an LGBT choir at one point.) But we were stood there waiting until past-12! The online stuff said it was setting off at 11 but oh well, just caused a bit of boredom and sore legs. Speaking of outfits, people really dressed up! Next year I neeed to go in something cooler and makeup. There were quite a few partial fursuiters which was… new to me (not the furry fandom, but seeing them outside of the internet). It was awesome! The designs they come up with are so cool. One of them was even the one and only person I managed to muster up the balls to ask for a photo.

Okay, let’s not jump in the timeline, this was later in the day.

Anyways, again. We finally got moving and the parade itself was so much fun, the music (mostly house but the ‘It’s raining men’ cameo was more than welcome) blasting, the confetti, the atmosphere, the vibe, the people, the colours. It was surreal but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. A fraction of one, even.

We arrived at the end point, the 3-street market, and looked around, but the streets were too small for all the people and the stands were not really calling to us… and the ones that were (selling enby flags) were drastically overpricing so… I grabbed a photo with the suiter that, hindsightedly, I really should’ve asked for an instagram handle or something (assuming they had one). I just kind of rushed up, asked, took the photo, thanked them, and rushed off again.

Okay, so we left the parade, and I stripped of my pride flag and keffiyeh to try and blend in a bit <+>___<+>

We grabbed lunch at the vic centre, cult classic mc donalds. Sorry, McDonald’s. After which, a woman who had claimedly just been released from jail asked to use my friends phone on speaker, something to do with moving her money to a bank that would let her withdraw from? Bless her too, I hope she is doing well reassimilating, she looked quite beaten up. Then as we left a man was stopping everyone going past, oak leaf in hand, going “will you LEAF me alone?” which put another smile on my face of many that day. To him too, I hope he is doing well.

That was kind of everything out-standing that happened today, except for a loud pair on the bus home but that’s not really anything new. I hope they enjoy their holiday wherever they were flying to.

Here’s the things I was given (yay free things!!)

Thoughts for when, not if, I return for 2026:

- take flags

- take protest signs

ideas: Nobody is free until everybody is free. Here for the angry facebook comments. Pride is a protest. Businesses have no place at pride. Protect queer youth. (And whatever else is relevant, for example this year, Protect the dolls, There is no pride in genocide, etc.)

- go in a larger group to keep the energy going

- get one of those “social battery” level pins?

- go in a cooler outfit

- take energy drink(s) because holy shit it’s exhausting

To sum up, everyone was so lovely and welcoming that it’s the kind of event that makes you want to cry afterwards in a way you don’t know why. My current suspections are that: it feels like being at a new home - surrounded by chosen family, everyone is so unapologetically themselves, everyone is so creative and free, and also, my social anxiety of not asking people that I wanted to for pictures might’ve made me feel a little disappointed that I didn’t achieve the level of satisfaction with the day I had presupposed. 

The fact I would happily do it all again tomorrow speaks volumes as to what I feel deep down about how today well.

I love you all,

Until the next one.