We dive into the long history of Pride in Nottingham, from rioters vandalising gay and lesbian bookshops to the rainbow-lined streets we see today
Today, if you walk through Hockley - the bohemian and creative area of Nottingham city centre - you'll see a plethora of LGBT+ support. Shops proudly display multicolour flags and the roads are paved with rainbows.
The shop was only one of a handful in Nottingham that openly sold gay and lesbian literature and newspapers, including the Gay Times. Through the Section 28 measures imposed by the government in 1988, which prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities, the shop held events with prominent gay and lesbian speakers and provided a safe space for the community.
Two individuals who were in the shop beforehand were left injured. "Roughly 32 were arrested and 13 of them went to jail, but it was a difficult period. A march, led in part by the local gay community, followed, unofficially becoming one of Nottingham's first Pride marches. In the years that followed, Nottingham Pride - as it was then known - became a regular event, being held across the city in various locations such as outside the castle, the arboretum and then on the Forest Recreation Ground.
"It's about doing it in places that have historical value with us as a community. For me personally, my experience of Hockley was The Health Shop - it was a place where you could get your HIV test. "Hockley's absolutely amazing. Manchester is a defined LGBTQ+ city, whereas Nottingham is not, but it naturally gravitates towards that.
Nottingham City Council ran gay-only swimming sessions in 1986 at Victoria Leisure Centre in Sneinton Market, which proved to be controversial due to widespread misinformation circulating at the time regarding the AIDS/HIV epidemic. Leigh recalls the Labour-run city council being dubbed "the loony left" in national headlines.
"Things that have changed include the Equality Act, laws that protect us, and we’re now prepared to come out and stand up and be counted, and that’s important. That’s the reason why we’re here."
Sneinton Hockley Nottinghamshire LGBTQ+ Rights Transgender Community
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