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Pride in Hull: Thousands head to city centre for parade and music

BBC Pride in HullBBC
The free festival took place across Hull city centre, featuring live music and a parade

The streets of Hull were filled with music, dancing and colour as thousands of people attended the city's Pride event.

The free festival on Saturday saw performances and a parade as part of the 22nd Pride in Hull.

Emmerdale's Ash Palmisciano, who plays the first ever transgender character in the ITV soap, co-hosted the event.

"It's really awesome to be yourself and today is about celebrating that," he said.

The event's main stage at Zebedee's Yard saw performances from 70s disco group Boney M and rapper Tinchy Stryder.

Ash Palmisciano,
It was Emmerdale actor Ash Palmisciano's first ever visit to Hull for the city's Pride event

The actor, who was in the city for the first time, told BBC Look North: "I took on this Emmerdale role as I didn't have anyone to look up to when I was growing up.

"Although I can't tell every story, at least it's a reference point - it's just to show you can grow up, have a great life and it doesn't matter who you are."

Palmisciano, who joined the soap's cast in 2018, continued: "I had to transition to become who I am, I then had the headspace to pursue what I wanted to do in life and become an actor.

"Soaps are a really powerful medium to tell a story, I wanted to show a guy who happens to be trans but that isn't all who he is."

Choir in Hull
Among the performers at Pride in Hull was the All For One Choir
Amaya Newman, Hull's Young Mayor, and others representing Generation Hull
Amaya Newman, Hull's Young Mayor (pictured centre), says the city is a "really great place for Pride"

The day also saw a community market on King Edward Street and child-friendly activities at Queen Victoria Square.

Andy Train, vice chair and creative director for the event, said: "It highlights all of the organisations and things going on in Hull regarding the LGBT+ community but it also gives an opportunity to protest.

"We can march, say 'here we are' and stake our claim."

Pride parade
Performers and groups representing dozens of organisations in Hull paraded through the city

Mr Train said significant progress has been made in terms of gay rights over the 22 years of the event, but added: "There is an awful lot more work to be done in identifying what can be done for our trans community."

Amaya Newman, Hull's Young Mayor, said: "I'm representing young people here, we are the future and have brought Pride to the centre of politics and got people to listen to us.

"You can tell from the amount of people that has turned up today that Hull is a really great place for Pride."

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