Wycombe shows its Pride

People from across Buckinghamshire converged on the centre of High Wycombe on Saturday 20th August 2022 for the annual pride parade.

High Wycombe Pride, organised by Matt Scott from Wycombe’s O’Neills bar, brought together people from across Buckinghamshire in a celebration of all things LGBT+.

The Buckinghamshire community came together and supported Pride. Stalls from Wycombe’s Swan theatre, the Terrance Higgins Trust, Wycombe Labour, Lib Dems and Co-Op party welcomed visitors to Pauls Row with members of the congregation of All Saints Parish Church on hand with Pride themed cakes they had baked!

Pride was celebrating the LGBT+ community and raising money for charity. So far over a £1,000 has been raised for the Terrance Higgins Trust and Mermaids!

This year Pride had another dimension with Wycombe welcoming the trade Unions for the first time.

Pride has a long history with the unions. The unions supported Pride through the 1980’s as the LGBT+ community battled through the AIDS epidemic and the introduction of Section 28.

This year, Mark Brown, who Chairs the Co-Op Party in Buckinghamshire, brought the GMB union to High Wycombe alongside his Co-Op stall and proudly marched through Wycombe town centre with Union members and the GMB banner.

Mark Brown said: ‘I’m a proud trade unionist, the GMB union has always stood with all communities and the LGBT+ community is no different. The GMB is on the side of anyone who needs us.

I’m very proud to be marching with the GMB banner in High Wycombe, Nikki Warr, the Buckinghamshire GMB secretary was supportive from the moment I suggested we support our local Pride.

Nikki and the GMB saw that supporting smaller local Prides like Wycombe, is so important to the LGBT+ community who can feel isolated in our towns and villages.‘

With Aylesbury pride not going ahead in 2022, High Wycombe Pride is the main LGBT+ event for the south of the county.

*Source of article : Press release from the Co-Operative Party Buckinghamshire.