Plans heat up for first Windsor LGBTQ+ Pride next summer

The wheels are in motion for what is hoped to be one of the biggest LGBTQ+ Pride events in the country – beginning in Windsor next summer.

Work has been ongoing behind the scenes to bring together companies, RBWM’s town managers, councillors and community figures to organise the free Pride.

Chairman of Windsor & Eton Pride, Steve Harris, said it all began when they asked themselves why Newbury and Bracknell have Pride parades, but Windsor does not.

Galvanised by hearing that such a thing couldn’t be government funded, Steve took action, seeking support elsewhere.

Since getting the ball rolling, Steve has heard from people concerned that the cash-strapped council would pay for the event. Once learning this is not the case, they are all in favour, Steve said.

Legoland Windsor has shown an interest in sponsoring, and there has been ‘amazing’ support from Windsor and Eton Brewery, among other companies.

Steve believes the event will be ‘huge’, combining the worldwide fame of Windsor with the worldwide fame of Pride.

“It’s not going to be 10 people walking through the high street towards a table of Hobnobs – it’s going to be a really big event and we need as much help from people as we can get,” said Steve.

“We have really got a chance of being one of the top 20 Prides [in the country].”

There are plans for free entertainment, two stages, crafts, a kids area, a youth area – something for everyone.

Windsor & Eton Pride’s committee has grown to 18 members and is a mixed group, including a Windsor councillor and a headteacher of a local school.

Part of this is a commitment to inclusivity to all types of people – not just those within LGBTQ+.  It is there to support people of angry gender, age, faith, disability.

Its vision is to demonstrate that ‘everyone is welcome, safe and loved here’ and ‘we are all uniquely beautiful humans.’

“It’s not just an LGBT thing where if you’re not, you can’t come,” said Steve. “We want everyone to come and we want to normalise everything rather than segregate it.”

The plan is also to add a splash of something different to Windsor; a ‘very street art style’ for Pride.

“Everything in Windsor is very ‘Times New Roman font’,” said Steve. “Pride is also a protest that goes back to the Stonewall riots in New York. We’re saying, this is our protest to all of the Times New Roman stuff that’s here.”

An important run-up project for next year’s Pride is the group’s ‘SafeSpace4All’ scheme (launching on July 15), inspired by emails Steve received after people heard of their plans for a Pride in Windsor. 

As well as some hostile emails about ‘not wanting this filth in my town’, Steve was also told by one LGBTQ+ person in Windsor that they didn’t want a Pride because they were ‘scared to go out in their own town.’

“That sent shivers down my spine,” said Steve. “It hit me like a freight train, because this is just wrong.”

It was the catalyst for engaging local cafés and shops to commit to providing safe spaces where LGBTQ+ people know they will be protected from abuse.

A sticker in the window will declare the businesses’ pledge to deal with anyone behaving in an ‘untoward’ way in their premises – and will feature a QR code linking to help organisation. Windsor and Eton Brewery is one of the first safe spaces.

In addition, the Pride group will offer training to companies on how to deal with such behaviour.

“We want to show everyone in Windsor and the surrounding area that it’s OK to come here,” said Steve.

In anticipation of next year’s big day, there will be a launch event coming soon.

Hosting on September 14 at Windsor and Eton Brewery, it is free, though donations 'are appreciated.' There will be line-up with stand-up comedy, a choir, live music, drag queens, bingo, educational speeches, and a disco to finish.

Meanwhile, the Windsor & Eton Pride website is due to go live on Monday (July 1), and can be found at www.windsorpride.co.uk