Mark Foster in 1973. Photograph courtesy of Mark FosterMark Foster in 2026. Photograph Pal Hansen / The Guardian
My Double Life
Mark Foster is a former competitive swimmer and winner of 51 major international medals, including six world titles, two Commonwealth Games golds and eleven European titles. He represented the UK at five Olympic Games, and broke eight world records. He works as a commentator for the BBC during major sporting events.
Mark Foster was born in Billericay, Essex in 1970 and is old enough to join Out In The City!
His new memoir, My Double Life, was published on 2 July, and is a colourful story of one of Britain’s best loved sportsmen, and his thirty-year-long coming out journey.
If anyone was going to come out as gay at the height of their sporting career it should have been Mark Foster – a confident, laid-back guy who doesn’t care what anyone thinks. So how is it that it took someone like him half a lifetime to come out?
From a Jack-the-lad being expelled from one of the most prestigious schools in the country to becoming the fastest man through water on the planet and a television favourite, Mark takes readers on a remarkable journey.
He shares with us the sometimes serious and sometimes comic tactics that enabled him to live a double life for so long and convince himself he was happy doing so. But Mark’s experience, told with humour and honesty, makes us stop and reassess where we really are in terms of society’s approach to homosexuality and diversity in sport. Whether it’s his intimate coming out conversations, posing naked photo for the Elton John Aids Foundation, glittering appearances on Strictly Come Dancing or breaking eight world records in an unprecedented 20 year career in the pool, Mark reveals the other worldliness of being an Olympian.
Inspiring and moving, A Double Life is the tale of one man’s pursuit of sporting prowess and finding the freedom to live his truth.
Trans Unity Quilt
The media and far right figures are obsessed with trying to tell the public who trans people are and how the public should feel about them.
The giant patchwork quilt has been made by and for trans people and allies.
The almost 300 homemade patches range from memorials to inside jokes and family celebrations. It shows shared joy, grief, creativity and resilience, and the proud existence of a community standing together against transphobia and hate.
Inspired by the history of textile protest art, the quilt is a huge symbol of our strength and how, when we come together, we cannot and will not be divided.
The quilt will be seen for the first time on Saturday, 25 July at London Trans+ Pride.
40 Years of HIV Activism – Movie Wins Award
A film by Nathaniel J Hall and Georgiana Ghetiu
We’re thrilled that “Acting Up – 40 Years of HIV Activism” has won a best documentary film at the LGBTQ+ Toronto and Los Angeles film festival, showcasing the best in LGBTQ+ films.
It has also been shortlisted for Scene Festival Irish prize for best British short!
It is incredible to see HIV and Manchester’s rich history of HIV activism recognised on the world’s stage.
Huge thank you to Nathaniel Hall and Georgiana Ghetiu for creating such a moving and reflective piece that beautifully illuminates the work of George House Trust and people living with HIV.
Maurice Dobson wore make-up, lived with Fred and was accepted in Darfield’s community, near Barnsley.
The carefully crimped hair, immaculately manicured eyebrows and flamboyant lipstick give this image all the hallmarks of 1950s fashion and femininity.
But what makes it remarkable is that this is a photograph of Maurice Dobson – former coal miner, war veteran and boxer – who was openly gay in his hometown of Barnsley during an era where homosexuality was illegal and rarely discussed.
A further twist is that Maurice and his partner Fred Halliday were – by and large – accepted as part of the Darfield community where Maurice had grown up and ran a corner shop in the post-war decades.
Today, Maurice Dobson’s home is a museum, and with the support of AutoTrader we hired a coach and travelled there.
Our first stop was The Cross Keys where Daniel and his team prepared a fantastic lunch for us.
We visited the local church yard where a stone declared: “Near this place are the ashes of Fred Halliday & Maurice Dobson Together”.
We then visited the museum where Margaret and Maxine gave us a very interesting tour explaining everything in detail.
The shop area featured a panel from the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt in memory of John Murphy. We recently visited the Quilt in its entirety when it was displayed in Wakefield.
The coffee and cake in the museum café was excellent and the whole trip was a brilliant day out.
Maurice Dobson was an enigmatic and curious character. A former miner, WW2 veteran and antiques collector with a museum bearing his name.
He was born in Wombwell in 1912 and followed his father and brothers into the pit, working at Mitchell Main Colliery. After serving in North Africa and the Middle East throughout the Second Word War he returned to the Dearne Valley permanently in 1956 with his partner Fred Halliday. Together they ran the shop at 2 Vicar Road, Darfield, until the 1980s. The shop is now the Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre.
This short film brings together the memories of people who knew him.
In April 2016 the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership worked with the Maurice Dobson Museum and Qdos Creates to produce a one-man play of the life of Maurice Dobson.
The script was written by Stephen Miller, DVLP Community Officer, based on archive research and speaking to people who knew Maurice. Maurice is performed by local actor Simon Carr and he was directed by Jow Rose. This is a filmed version of the play by Patteran Productions.
If you missed the programme on Radio 4 last Sunday evening, don’t worry.
It is available for over a year on BBC Sounds – listen here.
When museum curator Mark Hignett began buying WWII-era letters online, he believed he was piecing together the life of an ordinary soldier.
At first glance, the letters looked like typical correspondence: full of yearning, daily details and hopes for peace. But what emerged wasn’t just a wartime chronicle – it was a love story. As he kept on reading, he slowly realised they were letters from one male soldier to another.
At a time when homosexuality was criminalised in Britain and gay soldiers risked court martial, Gilbert and Gordon exchanged intimate, heartfelt correspondence, which are read for this programme by Olly Alexander.
Their letters spoke of longing, joy, fear and hope. In one, Gordon writes simply: “There is nothing more that I desire in life but to have you with me constantly.” In another, he reflects on how the world would see them: “The rest of the world have no conception of what our love is – they do not know that it is love.” It’s a reminder that while the law branded them criminals, they understood their bond as something deeply human, and deeply right.
That dream, however, sat alongside deep fear. In one letter, Gordon pleaded with Gilbert to destroy their correspondence: “Please darling, do this for me in deadly seriousness” – terrified of the consequences if their relationship were discovered. And yet, in another, he imagined a world that would understand: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our letters could be published in a more enlightened time?”
Russia censors rainbow
Amidst Russia’s crackdown on so-called LGBT+ propaganda, television viewers in the country noticed the censorship of a rainbow in a famous episode of the children’s cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants.
In the episode, Sponge Bob speaks about the fun of using one’s imagination, and as he does so, his hands paint a rainbow over his head.
The moment has nothing to do with LGBT+ Pride, since rainbows are also something kids love for their colours. Nevertheless, a clip from the Russian version of the episode shows Sponge Bob painting not a rainbow, but a plain yellow arc over his head. Many have concluded the change was made in accordance with Russia’s so-called LGBT+ propaganda laws.
While the scene is not related to LGBT+ identities, there has long been speculation over Sponge Bob’s sexuality, which may have fuelled Russia’s decision to censor the moment.
Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBT+ crusade first gained momentum in 2013 with his national ban on sharing “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” with minors. That prohibition effectively criminalised Pride parades and any public displays of affection by gay people in Russia.
In 2022, the Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament) expanded the propaganda ban to include all ages, criminalising “any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books or advertising.”
In 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that the so-called “International LGBT movement” is a terrorist organisation.
Upcoming films at HOME Cinema
2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Friday, 17 July – 23 July – Various times (122 minutes)
French / Subtitled English
France in the late 18th century. Painter Marianne is commissioned by an affluent countess to paint the wedding portrait of her sheltered but headstrong daughter Héloïse, in the hope it will find her a wealthy husband.
While posing as her hired companion, Marianne is instructed to complete the portrait in secret, observing Héloïse by day and painting her by night. However, as the two women grow closer, their intimacy and attraction begins to blossom, paving the way for a simmering, star-crossed romance.
A heart-breaking period piece told with a distinctly modern feminist energy, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the first female-directed film to win the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival and cemented Céline Sciamma’s reputation as a world-class filmmaker.
We’re Nothing At All
Friday, 17 July – 23 July – Various times (128 minutes)
Cantonese / Subtitled Chinese and English
On Valentine’s Day, a double-decker bus explodes in a fiery blast, killing many and leaving charred remains, with evidence pointing to a deliberate act by two passengers, Fai and Ike – a gay couple from troubled backgrounds living on the margins of society.
As retired forensic expert Lung Sir investigates, he uncovers their tragic story of abuse, homophobia, and despair, culminating in their decision to end their lives in a suicidal protest against an unjust world, leaving behind a haunting message: “On a beautiful day, we end our unbeautiful lives.”
Lesbian Aunts’ Day is celebrated annually on 13 July.
It is a special day to honour and celebrate the presence of lesbian aunts, their impact on their nieces and nephews, and their vital role within the LGBT+ and broader family community.
The occasion first gained traction organically through social media and online LGBT+ spaces. It often overlaps with broader family and community celebrations, similar to its sibling holiday, National Gay Uncles (Guncles) Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of August.
Invisible Identities
By Sarah Wilkinson (Research and Analysis Manager at Centre for Ageing Better)
The older LGBTQ+ population has seen much change in their lifetime but it is a group that continues to be overlooked. Our Research and Analysis Manager Sarah Wilkinson explains why their absence from official datasets matters, beyond just counting their numbers.
Between 2019 and 2024 the number of lesbian gay and bisexual people aged 50 and over in the UK is estimated to have increased by a third from 343,000 to 457,000. The older LGBTQ+ population is set to grow at an even faster rate than the overall older population, as relatively larger cohorts of LGBTQ+ people in their 30s and 40s age.
Yet national datasets rarely report measures by sexual orientation or gender identity. Even when this data is collected, it may not be reported due to small sample sizes – especially for older age groups in which numbers of LGBTQ+ people are smaller. Increasing recruitment of older LGBTQ+ participants by those responsible for national surveys would help address this.
It is important to also recognise that there are differences within the older LGBTQ+ community as lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and trans people face some different issues as they age.
Data is especially lacking on older trans people’s lives. Furthermore, while data is sometimes reported by gender, sexual orientation and gender identity intersect with other characteristics (such as ethnicity and disability) resulting in different prospects for later life. This adds to the need for sufficient sample sizes to allow for intersectional analysis.
This long-standing lack of quantitative data on LGBTQ+ lives has contributed to the invisibility of older LGBTQ+ people in policymaking and service design. Older LGBTQ+ people have lived through, and been instrumental in progressing, extraordinary social and legal changes. Now in their later lives, they face the overlapping challenges of ageism and the ongoing effects of a lifetime of homophobia and transphobia.
Stronger evidence is needed on how these issues affect the wellbeing and quality of life of older LGBTQ+ people so policies and services can better meet their needs. While qualitative insights and lived experience are valuable, more robust national quantitative data is essential to show how lifelong discrimination affects LGBT+ people as they age – and to support policy action to reduce these inequalities.
The inclusion of voluntary sexual orientation and gender identity questions in the 2021 England and Wales Census was a positive step. Its full population coverage avoids sample size issues and has been invaluable for understanding other marginalised groups. But there are specific limitations in its value when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity, notably:
A significant number of people chose not to answer these questions. Among older groups, this may be especially true for LGBTQ+ individuals, as past stigma and discrimination can understandably lead to lower levels of trust in authority.
There is evidence that the gender identity question in the Census was open to misinterpretation, particularly by older respondents, reducing data accuracy and limiting its use.
Sexual orientation and gender identity data are the only demographic variables that are not included in the Census dataset tool, preventing analysis that combines these with other variables.
The pre-built datasets created to address this do not allow the combination of age with other variables. Without age breakdowns, findings can be misleading, as the younger profile of the LGBTQ+ population means differences compared to the overall population may reflect age rather than sexual orientation.
Because of these limitations, we requested that the Office for National Statistics publish additional tables for a number of variables, such as housing tenure and self-reported health, by age and sexual orientation. This analysis shows that there are differences between the lives of older LGB+ people and heterosexual people, which affects how they age.
For example, older LGB+ people are more likely to live alone and in rented accommodation and (at least up to the age of 64) less likely to report being in good health.
Some of this data was included in our State of Ageing 2023/24 report, and was also presented at the British Society of Gerontology 2026 conference last week. Further bespoke analysis of Community Life Survey data was included in State of Ageing 2025, showing that older LGB+ people – particularly men – are less likely than heterosexual peers to have support when needed.
A key takeaway from these bespoke analyses is that significant inequalities can be present in the data, yet they will remain obscured without the ability to conduct the necessary analyses to reveal them.
That is why we are calling on organisations, such as the Office for National Statistics and research bodies that lead national surveys, to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, with a sample size that enables disaggregation by age to be published. This data would enable policymakers to plan better support for LGBTQ+ people as they age. It would also give a message to older LGBTQ+ people that they are being counted because they count, which is not something this community has always felt was the position of authorities and institutions.
Scarlet Lady on the River Mersey, Liverpool (taken on 25 February 2020)
Gay cruise blocked from entering Egypt days after being banned from Turkey
A gay cruise that was previously blocked from entering Turkey has now been banned from Egypt.
The Scarlet Lady carries around 1,900 passengers, mainly gay men from the US.
Egypt is the second country to have blocked Atlantis Events’ “Athens to Venice” Mediterranean cruise from entry. On 28 June, before the Scarlet Lady set sail, authorities in Turkey’s Aydin province released a statement saying they would not allow the ship to dock in the port city of Kuşadası because the cruise had been “planned by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values.”
In an interview Rich Campbell, President of Atlantis Events, noted that this marks the first time in the company’s 36 years of operation that one of its cruises has been blocked “because of who we are.”
“The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Campbell said of the Turkish authorities’ decision. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.”
Whilst a lot of people have been inconvenienced by being stranded in the middle of the ocean, it is the LGBT+ community that faces persecution in both countries. They are not allowed to be free to love who they want, for the most part, although neither Turkey nor Egypt has laws explicitly banning homosexuality.
Ironically, Alexandria in Egypt is a city founded by and named for one of the ancient world’s best-known homosexuals.
Out On The Radio
Our monthly radio show – aimed at older members of the LGBT+ communities – goes out live on the first Tuesday each month from 2.00pm to 3.00pm on ALL FM 96.9.
Don’t worry if you miss it, as it has been uploaded to Mixcloud so you can listen at your leisure.
This month we interviewed Stacie Cohen and featured an eclectic choice of music.
Thirty-one of us met for an afternoon tea and backstage tour of The Refuge building, a former life insurance and pensions company.
From 1895 to 1987 the head office of the Refuge Assurance Company Limited was in the magnificent Grade II listed building on Oxford Street in central Manchester.
Earlier the majority of us ate at Society, a food hall serving pizzas, Korean food and burgers.
It was a short walk to The Refuge and we settled in The Winter Gardens. The tea, coffee, cakes and scones were a surprise treat for Out In The City members. Our hosts, Josie and Jean, were amazing and the service was above and beyond excellent.
We split up into small groups and our guides, Amy and Alex, were similarly excellent. We were shown the staircase that only gentlemen could use (back in the day) and Room 51 which costs £1,500 to £2,000 per night. Previous occupants included Lady Ga Ga and Janet Jackson.
Overall it was a brilliant visit and lots of great photos can be seen here.
Silence is Golden
J Warren Kerrigan
You’ve probably heard of Ramon Novarro, the devastatingly sexy Mexican star of the silent screen whose gayness surprised exactly nobody. Maybe you’ve also heard of William Haines, another all-but-openly-gay silent actor who transitioned to a successful interior decorating career in the 1930s. We all know the bisexual folklore about Rudolph Valentino.
In the silent era, before the Hays Code cracked down on gay representation on screen and off, there were plenty of gay (and gay-coded) actors making a living playing matinee idols. But one of the most intriguing of these figures has been all but erased.
J Warren Kerrigan had all the stuff of a dashing action hero and heartthrob. By the time he starred in one of his final movies, 1924’s The Covered Wagon, he’d had over 10 years and 400 films of experience under his belt.
The soulful-eyed leading man was a box office draw from the start: in an era when “Gibson Girls” like Evelyn Nesbit were considered the epitome of female beauty, critics dubbed Kerrigan “The Gibson Man” due to his good looks, charm, and extra “je ne sais quoi”.
But Kerrigan wasn’t a he-man like Douglas Fairbanks or a stolid Western hero like William S Hart. He was more along the lines of what Gary Cooper would become in a later era: a quiet cowboy who walked softly and carried a big heart.
Behind the scenes, things were more complicated than fans might have suspected. Kerrigan lived openly and proudly with his mother at the height of his stardom, as well as with his partner, fellow silent actor James Carroll Vincent. Kerrigan wasn’t too interested in hiding his sexuality from his public, but it wasn’t his gayness that put an early end to his career. It was his comments about World War I.
In 1917, Kerrigan was at the height of his fame. He’d outgrossed even Mary Pickford at the box office and had just completed a massive tour across North America. But when an interviewer asked him about whether or not he’d be joining the war effort overseas, Kerrigan spoke a little too honestly.
“I am not going to war. I will go, of course, if my country needs me, but I think that first they should take the great mass of men who aren’t good for anything else, or are only good for the lower grades of work.”
People didn’t take kindly to Kerrigan’s comments, and they turned against him quickly.
It probably didn’t help that he wasn’t all that interested in pretending to be just another ladies’ man. While he received many proposals from female fans and co-stars, he didn’t want a “beard”, and at the time, the studio system wasn’t too worried about enforcing a straight-seeming marriage on their gay stars. With time, that would change, as studio heads like Louis B Mayer made it their business to protect their gay leading men from any kind of scrutiny about their sexuality.
But in 1917, the tired old trope of “bachelor who lives with his mother and male secretary” wasn’t the obvious shorthand it would become by the mid-20th century.
Kerrigan kept on working until 1924, the year when a car accident marred his good looks and took away his ability to perform as a handsome hero. Luckily, he’d saved enough money from his previous films to be able to enjoy a happy, if early, retirement. He and his partner Vincent even took in a drag performer – Vardaman, aka The Gay Deceiver – as a free lodger in the 1930s
After the death of his mother, Kerrigan lived out the rest of his life happily with Vincent, whom the press referred to as either his secretary and/or his gardener, until Kerrigan’s death in 1947. Bereft from the loss of his soulmate, James Carroll Vincent ended his own life nine months after Kerrigan’s passing.
J Warren Kerrigan didn’t have the easiest time in Hollywood, but he did seem to live his life mostly on his own terms, which was not the case for so many closeted stars who came after. Most of his films – mainly one-reel shorts filmed on nitrate – have long since disappeared, but in the few glimpses that remain, we can see the makings of a sensitive type of leading man recognisable in later gay stars like Montgomery Clift, Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter.
LGBTQ+ Hustings with Greater Manchester Mayoral Candidates
Come and hear from the Greater Manchester mayoral hopefuls on the issues that matter to LGBTQ+ voters.
Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ Mayoral Hustings
Emma Goswell Host
Join us for an important evening of conversation, community and democratic participation, hosted by Emma Goswell.
All mayoral candidates have been invited to take part in this event, providing LGBTQ+ voters and allies with the opportunity to hear directly from those seeking to lead Greater Manchester.
This is your chance to ask the questions that matter most to you, have your voice heard and find out how the candidates plan to address the issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities across the city-region.
Whether your concerns are around safety, healthcare, housing, inclusion, education, employment or equal opportunities, the hustings will provide a platform for open discussion and meaningful engagement. Mayoral candidates will have the opportunity to share their priorities and vision for Greater Manchester, while attendees can gain valuable insight into their policies and commitments.
To help shape the discussion, attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance. This will ensure that the issues and concerns most important to LGBTQ+ communities are represented during the event.
Come along, take part in the conversation and make an informed choice about the future of Greater Manchester.
Bev Craig (Labour and Co-operative Party) Geraldine Coggins (The Green Party) Richard Kilpatrick (Liberal Democrats)
Open Eye Gallery Commissions
Out In The City member, Helen Constantinou MA, has been awarded two commissions by Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool. Both commissions involve the creation of a single image relating to the historic Anti Section 28 Marches that took place in 1988. She is also hopeful that a third commission will follow; that will involve moving the project forward to “now” and delving into the impacts that the law actually had on our lives.
The first image, entitled The Gathering, will focus on the coming together of protestors prior to the start of one of the marches. This will be a modified version of an image Helen created for her Masters submission last year. The image will be further enhanced by the inclusion of the recorded memories of those who marched against Section 28 becoming law. The image and the recordings are scheduled to be shown in the Gallery in September (exact dates to be confirmed).
The second work, entitled The March, will focus on the marches that took place. Again, recorded memories will accompany the image when it is exhibited at the Open Eye Gallery in November (exact dates to be confirmed).
To create these commissioned pieces Helen is using multiple images from her own photographic archive to create a single, larger work that invokes a stronger sense of time, place and presence. To get an idea of the images which will be used in the creation of the final works, please go to https://section28project.myportfolio.com.
If you took part in the marches, or you remember not taking part, and would like to add your memories to the exhibitions please see the questions below. The questions are designed to elicit your key memories that will fit in with the ethos of the work.
1. The Gathering:
a) What motivated you to take part (or not) in a Stop the Clause march?
b) What were your first impressions when you saw the size of the crowd that was gathering for the march?
c) At the time, did you believe that taking part in the march could make a difference?
2. The March:
d) What were your impressions of the other people taking part in the march?
e) Are there any particular moments from the march that have stayed with you?
f) Looking back now, do you think the marches had an important impact, even if they didn’t achieve their goal?
Responses can be submitted in written form, including via email, or can be recorded. If you wish to record your response please contact Helen by email (constantimagery@gmail.com) to arrange a method and / or time to provide your responses. Your contribution can be attributed to you by name or attributed to “Anonymous” if you prefer.
Please note,
1) Open Eye Gallery has retained the right to edit vocal submissions and, given that their viewing audience includes children and young people, it might be wise to “moderate your language”!
2) Participants will be asked to complete a consent form for their written or recorded submission to be exhibited.
After a bee-utiful lunch in Manchester city centre, we made a beeline for Bee Corner, an urban beekeeping experience, tucked away bee-hind Islington Mill in Salford. As luck would hive it, a Bee Network bus came straight away.
Amber McCormack with a core team of committed volunteers have transformed a neglected concrete space into a haven for humans and honey bees called “Bee Corner”.
This is the place where you can come and observe the bees at work and explore the mysteries of the hive.
One of our favourite trips, if truth bee told. It was a bee-utiful sunny day. You won’t bee-lieve how relaxing it is sitting in the garden surrounded by bee-gonias and drinking coffee with chocolate bee-scits.
The bee experience is something un-bee-lievable if you hadn’t bee-n bee-fore.
During 2025 George House Trust marked its 40th anniversary and four decades of HIV activism in Greater Manchester.
Huge thank you to @eaglemanchester for their support in putting it up!
For the full story of the Beacon of Hope, please see here.
Sadiq Khan, London’s Mayor, on London Pride march with Julian Howes on 4 July 2026
More than 35,000 people march in London for annual Pride parade
Britain’s first official Pride march took place in London in July 1972.
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London for the annual LGBT+ Pride parade on Saturday, 4 July 2026.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, joined the crowd as they proceeded through the capital on Saturday afternoon.
The event’s organisers said that more than 35,000 marchers from about 600 groups made their way from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall via Piccadilly, many carrying rainbow flags.
The activist Julian Howes, 70, who was at the front of the parade, told journalists: “Pride is important because it needs to have an underlying level of protest, and you can see the freedoms that we have can so easily be taken away. We also always need to push further because there’s always somewhere where our rights are being taken away.”
Speaking prior to the event, a Pride spokesperson said: “The urgency is clear: NHS gender-affirming care waiting lists now exceed four years in some regions while a comprehensive trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy remains uncodified into law despite a 2018 government pledge.
At the same time, the community infrastructure LGBT+ people rely on is shrinking – since 2006, 58% of London’s LGBT+ venues have closed.
Together, these gaps in care, protection and safe spaces are unfolding amid continued hostility, with Home Office figures showing that more than 18,000 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were reported to police in 2025.”
Rebecca Paisis, the event’s interim chief executive, said she wanted to oversee “the most inclusive Pride in London event yet”.
She said: “Our movement has always been built on many voices becoming one united front – from the people who marched in 1972 to those joining us for the first time this year. That’s where our power lies.
As LGBT+ people, we’ve never been strangers to adversity, but neither are we strangers to collective action. This year’s campaign is a reminder that while the community often faces challenges in isolation, it is by coming together that we can change history.”
The Rainbow Lottery is the UK’s first and only lottery supporting LGBT+ good causes.
How the lottery works:
£1 per ticket (payable at £5 monthly).
For every ticket you play, 80% goes to good causes and prizes.
£25,000 jackpot prize
Match all 6 numbers and you win the JACKPOT! There are also prizes of £2000, £250, £25 and 3 free tickets for the following week.
Every month there is a Super Draw. July’s Super Draw (on 25 July) is a £2,000 Luxury Holiday (or £2,000 cash alternative or go green and plant 2,000 trees!)
Out In The City now has 50 Rainbow Lottery supporters. Since the Rainbow Lottery began we have won £4,600 between us. In the last five weeks we have had 2 winners of £250, 3 winners of £25 and 11 winners of three extra tickets.
Out in the City 