On 22 July over 300 people descended on Barkers Pool in Sheffield for the city ’s first ever Radical Pride. The organisers, Sheffield Radical Pride, are a group of grassroots activists from across the city. Their mission is to reclaim Pride and make it an anticapitalist protest again, without the presence of corporate pinkwashing or the police.
The march set off, headed by blocs made up of QTIPOC (Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black and People of Colour), sex workers, migrants and refugees, as well as a bicycle bloc whose role was to block off streets and stop cars whilst the march progressed. Attendees filtered in behind the blocs with their own placards, banners and flags, chanting as they went. The march reached the moor, where it stopped to hear speeches from the blocs, before setting off again towards its end point, Endcliffe Park. Here, a “queer takeover” had been organised, consisting of music, stalls and food. There was also information about obtaining HRT without the help of the NHS, gender confirming makeup and a clothing swap on offer.
The event was a great success, bringing together queer activists from across the city and further afield. The event really stood as a reminder for what Pride should and can be, free from the corporate influence and heavy police presence that we see at other cities’ Prides, such as in Leeds and London.
For me, Sheffield Radical Pride has fostered a new feeling towards Pride parades, one that I had not experienced before. The atmosphere was electric and everyone was excited to take part and make history in Sheffield. This was the first Pride Sheffield had seen since 2019, and it was very telling how much people needed it to happen.
The crowd was very young and, unlike other marches I have attended in the past, the number of queer people vs straight people, who attend Pride events for the spectacle and partying, was flipped on its head. The march was made for the queer community in Sheffield.
The event was a major win for Sheffield Radical Pride — I look forward to seeing what they can pull off next year.