Miners strike anniversary commemorated.
The 2015 Birmingham Pride Parade will be led by the original members of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), who recently returned to public prominence with the film PRIDE. They will also be joined by hundreds of trade unionists from across the Midlands.
The Parade will assemble in Victoria Square at 11am. Following the parade at 2.00pm, the Birmingham LGBT centre will host a showing of the original film made by LGSM All out! Dancing in Dulais.
Midlands TUC Regional Secretary, Lee Barron, said “It is an honour that Midlands TUC and hundreds of trade unionists from across the Midlands will join LGSM in leading the 2015 Birmingham Pride parade. The support of LGSM in the miners strike is a moving story of solidarity. It is now 30 years since hundreds of miners joined the London Pride march. The miners who went on the London Pride march were reciprocating the solidarity LGBT people had shown throughout the 1984/85 miners strike. The Miners never forgot this solidarity and went on to support the campaigns for LGBT rights that have now been passed into law today.
“And this history is instructive, for we today need similar solidarity in order to give hope, belief and support to working people who are now facing hardship and difficulties, fighting for better pay, safer workplaces, decent jobs and greater equality.”