LGBTory at Manchester Pride 2008

Plenty of interest from passers by

Volunteers chatting with visitors to the LGBTory stall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Bank Holiday weekend each year sees the return of one of the most colourful, fun and exciting events of the LGBT calendar in the UK, that of Manchester Pride.

For the first time this year, LGBTory, the recently-established LGBT group supportive of the Conservatives, had a presence at the event and it was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined.  After much form-filling, preparation and meetings attended, members of LGBTory managed to have places on the Manchester City Council bus in the parade as well as have a presence at the Lifestyle Expo within the cordoned-off festival zone itself.

The stall was received with positive reaction from the vast majority of attendees present at the festival.  Over the period of the weekend our stall was staffed by around 20 volunteers, most of whom are permanently resident in Manchester, on a rota basis throughout the periods 11am-8pm Saturday, Sunday and 12-5pm on the Bank Holiday Monday.

Many people took literature, chatted informally with volunteers on the stall about Conservative Party involvement in LGBT issues and were pleasantly surprised in to hear facts such as that the Conservatives have two openly gay members of the shadow cabinet, whereas in the Government’s cabinet there are none, and also that the Party Vice-Chair is a Lesbian.

It was an amazingly enjoyable, fun weekend and the Conservatives reached many new people as a result of our presence there.  It was well-organised and a thorough success, one upon which can be built for next and subsequent year’s Pride festivals.