Pride should be a celebration of inclusion — not a platform for exclusion
4 min read
This weekend, thousands will gather in London for Pride to celebrate LGBT+ progress. It's a moment of unity, honouring past struggles and affirming the right to live authentically. Pride is both a celebration and a political statement.
This year’s slogan, 'Embracing Every Shade: Celebrating Diversity Together – A home for every part of London’s LGBTQ+ community', feels especially ironic. For the first time, organisers have imposed a blanket ban on all political parties and affiliated LGBT+ groups. The ban, they say, is an act of solidarity with the trans community following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
But as Chris Bryant MP told Parliament recently: “We should be proud of the fact that politics has changed the law in this country, and political parties were absolutely essential to that.”
Pride began as a protest — a refusal to remain silent in the face of oppression. It has always been about more than rainbow flags. It’s about rights, freedom, and justice. That’s why excluding political voices — especially those that fought hard for progress — is not just misguided, but harmful.
LGBT+ Labour and LGBT+ Conservatives, both marking their 50th anniversaries this year, are among the groups banned. Denying them a place at the UK’s largest Pride events, simply because of political affiliation undermines everything the movement stands for. It sends the wrong message: that some parts of the community are more welcome than others, depending on how they vote.
This is especially troubling given that Pride in London is taxpayer-funded, with sponsorship from Transport for London and the Mayor of London. With public money comes a responsibility to represent the full diversity of the community — not just selected voices.
This is not about favouring any one party or excusing any policy. It’s about recognising a fundamental truth: LGBT+ people exist in every party, every ideology, and every part of society. To exclude groups based on political engagement is to shrink the definition of our community. It implies that identity is conditional on conformity — a stance entirely at odds with the spirit of inclusion Pride is supposed to promote.
The history of LGBT+ rights in the UK is inseparable from political action. Decriminalisation of homosexuality and equal age of consent, marriage equality, adoption rights, and moves to ban conversion therapy — these advances weren’t spontaneous. They were fought for by campaigners and secured through political acts. As Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew MP said, “it was these groups and so many MPs in this House [of Commons] that brought about the changes we enjoy today.”
We often frame Pride as a celebration of how far we've come — but progress isn’t inevitable. Rights must be fought for, defended, and constantly reaffirmed. That happens through political activism: in Parliament, in councils, in party meetings, in public debate. Banning political groups from Pride doesn’t remove politics — it just hides the contributions of those who work for change from within.
Worse, it risks discouraging future engagement. We should want more LGBT+ people to enter politics. Representation matters in the rooms where decisions are made. But this decision sends a troubling message: that political participation might cost someone their place in the very community they seek to represent.
Pride must remain a space for protest and accountability — but that requires dialogue. Progress doesn’t come from silencing voices, but from including them, challenging them, and working together — even when we disagree.
By banning political parties, Pride in London (and other events taking a similar stance) risks becoming disconnected from the very mechanisms that enable real-world change. It risks becoming a spectacle rather than a movement. And alienating those who have fought, and continue to fight, for our collective rights.
At a time when LGBT+ rights are under threat globally — and stalling in parts of the UK — political engagement is not optional. It is essential. We need unity, not division. Inclusion, not gatekeeping. And most of all, we need to honour the full diversity of our community — political beliefs included.
The decision to exclude political groups is far from the spirit of Pride. True inclusion means embracing those with whom we may disagree — because diversity is not just about identity, but also about perspective.
Pride should never be about shutting people out. It should be about bringing people together — across backgrounds, beliefs, and political views.
In 1972, the first Pride march in London was organised by the Gay Liberation Front. Many of those brave early activists went on to shape policy, influence legislation, and serve in public office. Today, we honour their legacy not by excluding politics, but by recognising it as a vital force for change.
Let’s keep Pride political. Let’s keep it inclusive. And let’s make sure there’s a place for everyone — no matter how they vote.
Owen Meredith, former parliamentary candidate and member of the LGBT+ Conservatives Board
