Tales of the City author to appear at London Pride
Gay icon Armistead Maupin is to take to the stage at tomorrow’s London Pride event in Trafalgar Square.
The author, whose Tales of the City books about gay life in 1970s and 80s San Francisco have been compared to the work of Dickens, is making a special trip to show solidarity with London’s gay community.
Mr Maupin’s latest book, Michael Tolliver Lives, follows a character from Tales, now in his mid-50s and HIV+, who finds love with a younger man.
He is flying in from Miami tomorrow morning and is expected on stage in Trafalgar Square at around 6pm.
Singer Darren Hayes, gay rap sensation Q Boy and identical twins gay boyband Nemesis will be performing, and there will be speeches from Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, gay MEP Michael Cashman and former Cabinet minister Chris Smith.
Pride sources have revealed that a spooky Dalek will introduce the very last episode of TV show Doctor Who, which will be screened in the square at 7.10pm tomorrow.
Organisers also confirmed that they expect tomorrow’s parade and other events to go ahead despite the discovery of a car bomb on the parade route.
“The Metropolitan Police are working hard to reopen central London as soon as they can, following the suspicious device being found in Haymarket,” they said in a statement.
“We hope that this will not have an impact on tomorrow’s event.
“It is not though that the device had anything to do with our event, or Canada Day which takes place today in Trafalgar Square.
“Extra security precautions, such as the removal of rubbish bins, are being put in place to make Pride London 07 as safe as possible.
“The parade assembles in Baker Street from 11am and heads-off down Oxford Street at 1pm. See you there!”
