Ely hopes to host its own Pride party, joining cosmopolitan cities around the world

London, New York, Paris, Tel Aviv and Teipei all have gay Pride parades – so why not Ely?
The founders of the newly formed Pride in Ely and Cambridge group hope a fundraiser on September 10 will set the wheels in motion for Ely’s first Pride event in 2018.

A spokeswoman said: “We are all really excited about the idea of an all inclusive parade in our beautiful city.
“Ely has become a really diverse, welcoming place for people of all sexual orientations, nationalities and backgrounds, and we’d love to celebrate our wonderful community with a Pride event, which will engage local schools, organisations, businesses and residents as a whole.
“We hope it will have a real carnival atmosphere and become a regular feature in Ely. We are all really proud of our diverse city and would be thrilled to be able to include it on the worldwide Pride calendar.”
With just over a week to go before Pride in Ely and Cambridge’s first fundraiser, she’s hoping as many people will get behind the event.
“We really want to bring the community together and win the hearts of the public. It’s all about people from all backgrounds, regardless of whether or not you’re gay, bi, straight or transgender.”
The first fundraiser will take place from 7pm till midnight at TaBouche on Ely’s riverside. It will include performances by Alys from Alys & the D90s, as well as an open mic session for budding musicians.
There will also be a raffle, games and special cocktail offers throughout the night.
The local Pride group was recently set up by six members of LGBT+ in Ely and LGBT in Cambridge, all of whom have full time jobs.
“There were two sets of couples that came forward and were extremely keen to take the group forward. Their experience and background are extremely valuable. Two are council members, one’s a teacher, one works for the Home Office in London and I run my own marketing and design agency. We are totally independent and have the full support and backing of our local police if we need it – something we’re very proud of.”
The LGBT+ in Ely Facebook page, set up earlier this year, has 230 members, many of whom have learned about the group via Spotted in Ely and an award-winning awareness campaign targeted at tackling hate crime, backed by Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
In time Pride in Ely and Cambridge will be looking for sponsorship and patrons. The group plans further events before its Pride parade.

Gay Pride was formed as a positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to promote dignity, equal rights and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance.
The first Pride march was held in New York City in 1970, covering 51 blocks. Today Pride events are held across the globe, from Budapest in Hungary to Bogota in Colombia.

For more about Pride in Ely and Cambridge see https://www.facebook.com/PrideinElyCambridge/?fref=ts