Portsmouth Pride event going digital amid ongoing Covid-19 concerns

June marks LGBTQ Pride month, and typically sees marches taking place throughout the United Kingdom.

But with the threat of coronavirus still a concern to many, this year’s Portsmouth event has been transformed into a digital-only affair – described as a ‘hard decision to make’ for the board of trustees.

Portsmouth Pride is a celebration of the city’s diversity and aims to give a voice to all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Tally Aslam, chair of Portsmouth Pride, said: ‘We are thankful to our sponsors the University of Portsmouth, the unviersity Student Union and Hampshire Boulevard for enabling us to put on a digital event and offer paid work to performers who have given so much to Pride for free in the past.

‘Covid-19 has seen so many people out of work from the entertainment industry, it’s nice to be able to give back to people who have continued to support us.’

Instead of the usual march through Southsea, the event will be broadcast to YouTube on July 12.

Aaren James Martin, manager of the Portsmouth Pride Youth Society, added: ‘It has been really great to bring the young people together to create a piece for digital event this year.

‘A lot of the Portsmouth Pride Youth Society’s young people had not seen each other in a year and they said how nice it was to come back together to create a piece of work.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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