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Norwich Pride plans 'rainbow colours' virtual celebration

BBC Pride flag outside Norwich City HallBBC
The Pride march in 2019 included three giant banner flags including one representing the trans community, on loan from Pride Cymru

A city centre pride march will be recreated in a "rainbow colours" virtual parade made up of video clips of people taking part.

Norwich Pride said it would aim to "light up" people's screens with the online celebration on Saturday.

Thousands of people have paraded through Norwich since the city's first annual celebration event in 2009.

"We can't flow through the city like a rainbow river but we can light up your screens," said pride's Michelle Savage.

She said they had set out to gather clips of "people smiling, waving, dressed in rainbow colours, holding placards and banners, sending messages of support".

Organisations at Norwich Pride
Nearly 60 groups and organisations took part in Norwich Pride in 2019, along with thousands of people who joined in the "people's march" - supporters of Norwich and Norfolk's LGBT+ community

The event will adopt the Progress flag designed by artist Daniel Quasar, which adds a chevron to the traditional rainbow flag.

It represents "parts of the LGBT+ community that can be traditionally marginalised, in particular people of colour, people with HIV/Aids and transgender people", Norwich Pride said.

Luna Howl
Luna Howl (right), who identifies as non-binary, travelled from Manchester to take part in the 2019 event

Vaughan Thomas, Lord Mayor of Norwich, said: "Just as we come out on Pride Day to say that as a city we will not tolerate homophobia or transphobia, we are also a city that is committed to being anti-racist."

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The mayor will make an opening address as part of the online celebrations, which will include the virtual march on the Norwich Pride website from 13:00 BST.

Norwich Pride Progress flagNorwich Pride
The chevron colours are there to represent parts of the LGBT+ community

Norwich Castle will be projecting the Progress flag on to its walls on Pride Night.

Organisers estimated up to 10,000 people attended last year's Norwich event.

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