Pride in London organisers handed five-year contract by Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan at Pride in London in 2022. (Getty)
Pride in London will receive more than £600,000 in city funding to stage its event for the next five years, London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.
The five year funding agreement came about after a “competitive open tender process” and will ensure Pride in London goes ahead annually from 2023 to 2027.
As part of the bidding process, organisers committed to creating a community advisory council to work closely with LGBTQ+ people and a “clear and definitive anti-racism plan”.
The group has also pledged to set up awards that will celebrate achievements across the community.
In a statement, Sadiq Khan said he was “delighted” to announce that Pride in London would receive funding for an additional five years.
“London is a beacon of inclusiveness around the world and that is in part due to the powerful impact that the Pride march of solidarity and celebration has had on our society over the last five decades,” he said.
“Pride in London has set out ambitious plans to work closely with all LGBTQI+ communities to put on an inclusive event over the coming years and I’m looking forward to seeing this delivered.”
Christoper Joell-Deshields, executive director of Pride in London, said the group was proud to receive five years’ worth of funding after it marked 50 years of Pride just months earlier.
“Our dedicated team of volunteers look forward to engaging with LGBT+ communities to build better, ensuring that our platform amplifies national and global LGBT+ issues, celebrates our communities’ successes and empowers LGBT+ individuals through our values of visibility, unity and equality.
“We look forward to announcing the date for 2023 in the coming weeks.”
Pride in London has been rocked by racism allegations
The news comes after a turbulent few years for Pride in London. The event was called off in 2020 and 2021 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the background, the organisation has faced damning accounts of racism and bullying within the organisation. Its five most senior members quit following the resignations of its entire advisory board.
Pride in London has said it has a “zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behaviour”, but some remain unconvinced that progress has been made.
Rhammel Afflick, who was formerly Pride in London’s most senior Black official before he resigned, told MyLondon in February: “Now that it’s been almost a year since I resigned, I just wonder what little we have to show for that, and that is really sad to think about.”
