Oxford Pride is a registered charity run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Oxford Pride started in 2003, initially as a small event on a field and today has become a March through the city drawing thousands of people to the streets to raise their voices and improve visibility for the LGBTIQ+ community. The March finishes in the centre of town where there is entertainment, community stalls and information on a wide range of topics including signposting, local groups, museums, and health organisations from around the city and county. In 2009 we also introduced an arts and culture festival that runs for a week before Pride Day that includes a range of activities, lectures, and symposiums to educate and inform the LGBTI+ community and its allies. The Festival works closely with the universities, theatres, and local groups to promote and facilitate events. With the increase in LGBTIQ+ hate crimes over the past year and the issues brought on during the pandemic the need for the LGBTIQ+ community to get together is more important than ever.
Pride is not just about a day, a festival, and some events. It is a way for the community to be seen, to have their voices heard and, vitally, to be together as one voice to continue to campaign for equity and justice in the UK and Globally. We have continued to run a monthly sober social gathering that has been online but will be returning to in-person (and where possible remaining with an option for virtual participation) as we acknowledge the social isolation many people have endured, especially throughout the last few years.
Oxford Pride is free to attend, it’s our commitment to build the platform for our community to feel safe and for all voices to be heard, right in the heart of Oxford.
2023 will be our 20th anniversary and we will be holding our main event on 3 June with many other events in the months leading up to Pride Day.
