Crowds gather to celebrate Cheltenham Pride

About 2,500 people have taken part in a Pride event in Gloucestershire to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

The Cheltenham Pride march set off from the town's John Lewis store at 11:15 BST on Saturday.

It was followed by performances by RuPaul's Drag Race contestant, Copper Topp and dance artist Angie Brown, at Imperial Gardens.

Pride in Gloucestershire's chairperson, Richard Stevens, said "Pride is not just about a celebration. It's a really important safe space for people to come and really connect, enjoy, learn, and to also get access to support."

The theme of this year's event was "You're the Voice", encouraging people to speak out about their lived experience and the issues that impact them.

“Ensuring the voice of LGBTQ+ people is heard, is important now more than ever," Mr Stevens said.

"It is vital that our community has the courage to stand up to discrimination by using its voice."

The event also played host to the Pride Dog Show, a staple at Cheltenham Pride since 2019.

The dog show includes categories such as the dog with the waggiest tail, best rescue dog and the dog that looks most like its owner.

Mr Stevens told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It's brilliant to see people bring out their pets."

"It's a really fun event and it's always very popular," he added.

Mr Stevens said it had been "amazing" to see the reaction and support for the event.

"The support for Pride from businesses and organisations like Cheltenham BID, Willans and the County Council has been astounding," he added.

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