1 Medway Pride 26 History Month Exhibition

Medway Pride 2026 LGBTQIA+ History Exhibition.

This exhibition looks at the changes in UK Law, and equality rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Non-binary, Intersex and Asexual or Agender people, over the decades from, 1960 to 2025, its links to the, LGBTQ+ Pride Civil Rights Movement.

This is the starting point for the, “Lived Experiences: UK Equality Law and the Medway LGBTQ+ Community (1960–2025)” Where we will collect, archive, and exhibit the lived experiences of Medway’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community from 1960 to 2025, focusing on how shifts in UK equality law shaped the everyday realities of LGBTQ+ people. We are aiming to build this archive over the coming months to provide a future exhibition.

The current exhibition shows a selection of historical changes in UK law, that have had a significant impact on the lives of LGBTQIA+ people.

The details about how each act or change in law came into being, can be listened to on your phone or other device connected to the internet, by using the QR codes displayed on each item.

The UK LGBT Pride movement evolved from radical grassroots protests in the early 1970s, into a nationwide series of major cultural festivals. Its history is marked by a shift from revolutionary “gay liberation” to a broader campaign for legal equality and mainstream visibility. 

 Origins and Radical Roots (1970–1972)

Inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, British activists formed the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970 at the London School of Economics. 

• First Demonstration (1970): Approximately 150 members held a torchlight rally at Highbury Fields, on November 27 to protest police harassment following the arrest of activist Louis Eaks.
• First Official Pride (1972): On July 1, 1972, the UK’s first “Gay Pride” march took place in London, with an estimated 2,000 participants. The date was chosen to be the Saturday closest to the Stonewall anniversary. 

National Expansion (1973–1987)

Following London’s example, Pride events started in other UK cities:

• 1973: Brighton held its first march and “Gay Dance”.
• 1979: Liverpool hosted its first Gay Pride Week.
• 1981: The main UK Pride was in Huddersfield to show solidarity against police raids on a local gay club, The Gemini.
• 1985: Manchester Pride began as the “Gay Pub and Club Olympics”. 

Local Pride Events in Medway (2013 to Present)

• 2013: Medway held its first Pride Picnic in the Park at Rochester Vines organised by a voluntary committee : Medway & Kent LGBT Community Action.
• 2020:, Both Medway and Gravesham were organising their first Pride events managed by volunteer groups, Medway led by Hilary Cooke, Chair of Medway Pride Community Group, and H (H Shelley) Chair of Gravesham Pride Community Group. Due to Covid 19 restrictions both the individual pride events had to be cancelled, But the groups joined forces and Gravesham & Medway Virtual Pride 2020 was produced. It was a weeklong virtual event combining acts from both the Medway Pride 2020, and Gravesham Pride 2020, as well as other organisations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of the content produced for the virtual event can still be found on their Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/gmvpride .
• 2021: Medway held its first Pride event organised by Medway Pride Community Group. on land at ‘Rochester Riverside’, on the banks of the river Medway in the INTRA area of Chatham & Rochester. Although participation was restricted by COVID19 rules, and no parade was allowed, the event was a success leading to the formation of Medway Pride CIC under the direction of Chair Hilary Cooke.
• 2021: Also saw the creation of Medway Pride Radio under the management of Shea Coffey, a director of Medway Pride CIC.
• 2022: Medway Pride 2022 saw the first pride march in Rochester High Street, and the relocation of the event to Rochester Castle, where it has remained to date with an annual event taking place each August. Along with the Rochester event 2022 saw the development of Medway Fringe Pride. A weeklong festival initially based in the INTRA area, but expanding to a wider selection of venues in Medway. The Fringe events were managed by Jody Carrington and aimed to increase community participation through small events at local venues, workshops, talks, creative activities and entertainment for all ages.

The Fight Against Section 28 (1988–2003)

Opposition to Section 28 revitalized the movement. This law, introduced in 1988 by the Thatcher government, banned local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality. 

• Stonewall UK: This charity was founded in 1989 to lobby for the repeal of Section 28 and other discriminatory laws.,
• Increasing Turnout: Protests grew. In 1992, London hosted Europride, attracting 100,000 people.,
• Inclusivity Changes: The event was renamed “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride” in 1996. 

Mainstream Success and Specialization (2004 to Present).,

Pride became a larger celebration as legal barriers fell, including the repeal of Section 28 (2003) and the introduction of Civil Partnerships (2004). 

• UK Black Pride (2005): Founded by Phyll Opoku-Gyimah to provide a space for LGBTQ+ people of colour. It has grown into Europe’s largest event of its kind.
• Trans Pride (2013): The first dedicated Trans Pride in the UK was held in Brighton, followed by London’s first in 2019.
• Corporate Involvement: Modern Pride events (like Pride in London) face debate over their “commercialization,” with some activists calling for a return to its radical protest roots. 

Key Legal Milestones Celebrated at Pride,

2000:, Ban on LGBTQ+ people in the military lifted. The repeal of Section 28 legislation occurred in two stages:, in Scotland: Section 28 (known there as Section 2A) was repealed by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, on June 21, 2000.

2001: Age of consent equalized to 16 for gay and bisexual men. 2003: The repeal of Section 28 legislation in England and Wales, it was officially abolished through the Local Government Act 2003 on November 18, 2003.  2004: Gender Recognition Act passed, allowing legal gender changes.

2014: Same-sex marriage legalized in England, Wales, and Scotland.

2020: Same-sex marriage legalized in Northern Ireland.

Calls for Pride Events to protest recent changes to UK Equality Rights for Trans People : 2025:, In the landmark case of For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers.   the UK Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling on April 16, 2025.  The ruling established that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, the terms “sex”, “woman”, and “man” refer strictly to biological sex, (assigned at birth), and are not modified by a person possessing a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).  Key Details of the Judgment The Issue: The court examined whether trans women with a GRC, should be counted as “women” under the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018, which aimed to increase female representation. The Ruling: The Supreme Court concluded that “sex” in the Equality Act, refers to biological sex only. It held that interpreting “sex” to include, “certificated sex” (the gender on a GRC), would lead to “unworkable, impractical, or illogical results”. Impact on Trans Rights: The court clarified that while a GRC does not change a person’s legal sex for the Equality Act, transgender people remain protected from discrimination under the separate characteristic of gender reassignment. Outcome for Policy: This has led to legal uncertainty for trans people’s rights under the 2010 Equality Act,, with several legal challenges to the interpretation of the judgement by UK Equality and Human Rights Commission, (EHRC), and its effects on privacy and access to spaces designated as being for use by men or women, such as public toilets and changing rooms, and those facilities provided in the workplace. The European Court of Human Rights, (ECHR),  has raised the issue of a conflict in law, between, the For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers judgement, and the UK EHRC interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, in limiting the effect for the holder of a Gender Recognition Certificate who have a change of sex status for all purposes in law, as stated in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, as well as affecting a trans persons right to privacy. Legal challenges are continuing with various interpretations being delivered at Employment Tribunals, while the UK government decide how to manage any changes to equality rights and access to services for trans people. This has led to a rise in protests from trans people, and calls for the pride movement to support trans rights by challenging what is being seen as a roll back of LGBTQIA+ rights in the UK and around the world.

2026EXP