Nicola Sturgeon has become the only serving prime minister or first minister in the UK to have led a Pride event.
The Scottish first minister led Scotland’s largest ever LGBT event in Glasgow on Saturday.
She was named honorary grand martial for the event, at which 8,000 people were expected, owing to her support for LGBT issues. She was not scheduled to meet the US president, Donald Trump, who is visiting Scotland this weekend.
Wearing a T-shirt with a rainbow-coloured “choose love” logo, she led the march alongside Suki Wan, the chair of the Scottish youth parliament.
Proud to lead this massive @prideglasgow march today - celebrating and reaffirming the values of tolerance, diversity, equality, love and respect. #chooselove #pride pic.twitter.com/kTgVnDlJMk
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 14, 2018
They were joined by a number of MSPs, including Patrick Harvie of the Green party, Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Jamie Greene.
Speaking at the march, Sturgeon said she had been a “wee bit tickled” by reports that Trump hates her and has been “bitching” about her to Theresa May.
“I find it hard to believe that the president of the United States, with all the big, important issues that he has to deal with on a daily basis, finds the time to rant about me on the telephone to Theresa May,” she said. “If it is true, I suppose I should take it as a compliment. I certainly don’t spend that much time talking about him.”
The Pride march started in Clyde Place and went through the city centre to Kelvingrove Park. It came as thousands more took to the streets of Scotland to protest against Trump’s visit to Scotland for meetings “and some golf”.
Sturgeon has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s policies. As health secretary, she led on the initial development of equal marriage in Scotland, and as first minister has promised to introduce legislation to ensure equality for transgender people.
