As a participant in Pride for over 40 years, I welcome Peter Tatchell’s article (Why Pride needs liberating, 6 July), but feel he was too easy on the organisers and the authorities. The point about Pride is in the word. You have to take part, identifying yourself in public, in order to have the personal and political transformation of taking pride in your sexual identity and thus in yourself. This cannot be done as a spectator, it only works for participants. That is why it is a disgrace that the organisers of Pride London turned away willing participants on Saturday and diminished them as simply spectators. The decision to limit the number of participants – any numerical limit – destroys Pride and everything gay liberation means. If the authorities, be it the mayor of London, the metropolitan police or Westminster council, won’t let the organisers have an open Pride march, then it should be cancelled and instead we will have protests against those authorities until we are allowed to continue Pride as we have known it.
Graham McKerrow
Former editor, Capital Gay newspaper
• I am a great admirer of all that Peter Tatchell has done for LGBT rights, but I’m afraid his annual gripe about the Pride march is beginning to sound like sour grapes. I well remember the old days and took part in them, but I’ve just stood for nearly four hours watching this year’s parade go by and I saw tens of thousands of happy people with smiles on their faces, which makes me sure that our ability to put on a good show has won us many friends. I don’t really mind if a handful of businesses muscle in as long as they help to pay for it, but I would worry if the criticism is used in future by people who might want to restrict it for all the wrong reasons. Let us continue to have one day in the year when we all come out with our rainbow flags and party.
Nicholas Billingham
London
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