IN PICTURES: “Out and proud” as equal love championed at Birmingham Pride 2013

Thousands of people descended on central Birmingham this weekend to celebrate equal love, as costumes, colour and political protest dominated Birmingham Pride weekend.

Armed with placards and banners demanding the recognition of same-sex marriage; activists, politicians, and revellers took to the streets to march for equality before celebrating the diversity and visibility of the city’s LGBT+ community.

With guests from across the country joining Brummies for the UK’s largest two-day Pride festival, the city was awash with rainbow flags, brightly-coloured costumes, music, song, dance and positivity as a procession of walking groups and boisterous floats paraded through the city centre streets from Victoria Square to Hurst Street.

In the city’s LGBT+ quarter – commonly know as ‘The Village’ – attendees enjoyed an endless array of stalls showcasing rainbow accessories, jewellery, clothes, glitter and glamour alongside food & drink kiosks, dance tents, information stands; and not forgetting the city’s lesbian and gay entertainment venues overflowing with crowds spilling into the busy streets.

Although an ticketed space, the streets of the Southside district were heaving with partygoers enjoying dance music, fairground rides, street drinking and merriment, as a confidently loud and proud Mardi Gras vibe took over this queer corner of Brumtown.

Among A-list music stars JLS, Paloma Faith and 80s legends Bananarama, the event also welcomed X Factor finalists Rylan Clark, Lucy Spraggan, Misha B and Kitty Brucknell to grace several stages dotted around the large outdoor festival site.

Human rights activist Peter Tatchell and MEP Michael Cashman led the Pride parade alongside festival director Lawrence Barton, and greeted visitors to the celebration as hundreds of spectators lined the streets to watch drag queens, a samba band and scantily-clad dancers march by.

---

GALLERY: LGBT+ celebrations at Birmingham Pride 2013

---

#1

Adam Yosef

#2

Adam Yosef

#3

Adam Yosef

#4

Adam Yosef

#5

Adam Yosef

#6

Adam Yosef

#7

Adam Yosef

#8

Adam Yosef

#9

Adam Yosef

#10

Adam Yosef

#11

Adam Yosef

#12

Adam Yosef

#13

Adam Yosef

#14

Adam Yosef

#15

Adam Yosef

#16

Adam Yosef

#17

Adam Yosef

#18

Adam Yosef

#19

Adam Yosef

#20

Adam Yosef

#21

Adam Yosef

#22

Adam Yosef

#23

Adam Yosef

#24

Adam Yosef

#25

Adam Yosef

#26

Adam Yosef

#27

Adam Yosef

#28

Adam Yosef

#29

Adam Yosef

#30

Adam Yosef

#31

Adam Yosef

#32

Adam Yosef

#33

Adam Yosef

#34

Adam Yosef

#35

Adam Yosef

#36

Adam Yosef

#37

Adam Yosef

#38

Adam Yosef

#39

Adam Yosef

#40

Adam Yosef

#41

Adam Yosef

#42

Adam Yosef

#43

Adam Yosef

#44

Adam Yosef

#45

Adam Yosef

#46

Adam Yosef

#47

Adam Yosef

#48

Adam Yosef

#49

Adam Yosef

#50

Adam Yosef

#51

Adam Yosef

#52

Adam Yosef

#53

Adam Yosef

#54

Adam Yosef

#55

Adam Yosef

#56

Adam Yosef

#57

Adam Yosef

#58

Adam Yosef

#59

Adam Yosef

#60

Adam Yosef

#61

Adam Yosef

#62

Adam Yosef

#63

Adam Yosef

#64

Adam Yosef

#65

Adam Yosef

#66

Adam Yosef

#67

Adam Yosef

#68

Adam Yosef

#69

Adam Yosef

#70

Adam Yosef

#71

Adam Yosef

#72

Adam Yosef

#73

Adam Yosef

#74

Adam Yosef

#75

Adam Yosef

#76

Adam Yosef

#77

Adam Yosef

#78

Adam Yosef

#79

Adam Yosef

#80

Adam Yosef

#81

Adam Yosef

#82

Adam Yosef

#83

Adam Yosef

#84

Adam Yosef

#85

Adam Yosef

#86

Adam Yosef

#87

Adam Yosef

#88

Adam Yosef

#89

Adam Yosef

#90

Adam Yosef

#91

Adam Yosef

#92

Adam Yosef

#93

Adam Yosef

#94

Adam Yosef

#95

Adam Yosef

#96

Adam Yosef

#97

Adam Yosef

#98

Adam Yosef

#99

Adam Yosef

#100

Adam Yosef

#102

Adam Yosef

#103

Adam Yosef

#104

Adam Yosef

#105

Adam Yosef

#106

Adam Yosef

#107

Adam Yosef

#108

Adam Yosef

#109

Adam Yosef

#110

Adam Yosef

#111

Adam Yosef

#112

Adam Yosef

#113

Adam Yosef

#114

Adam Yosef

#115

Adam Yosef

#116

Adam Yosef

#117

Adam Yosef

#118

Adam Yosef

#119

Adam Yosef

#120

Adam Yosef

#121

Adam Yosef

#122

Adam Yosef

#123

Adam Yosef

#124

Adam Yosef

#125

Adam Yosef

#126

Adam Yosef

#127

Adam Yosef

#128

Adam Yosef

#129

Adam Yosef

#130

Adam Yosef

#131

Adam Yosef

#132

Adam Yosef

#133

Adam Yosef

#134

Adam Yosef

#135

Adam Yosef

#136

Adam Yosef

#137

Adam Yosef

#138

Adam Yosef

#139

Adam Yosef

#140 

Adam Yosef

#141

Adam Yosef

#142

Adam Yosef

#143

Adam Yosef

#144

Adam Yosef

#145

Adam Yosef

#146

Adam Yosef

#147

Adam Yosef

#148

Adam Yosef

#149

Adam Yosef

#150

Adam Yosef

#151

Adam Yosef

#152

Adam Yosef

#153

Adam Yosef

#154

Adam Yosef

#155

Adam Yosef

#156

Adam Yosef

#157

Adam Yosef

#158

Adam Yosef

#159

Adam Yosef

#160

Adam Yosef

#161

Adam Yosef

#162

Adam Yosef

#163

Adam Yosef

#164

Adam Yosef

#165

Adam Yosef

#166

Adam Yosef

#167

Adam Yosef

#168

Adam Yosef

#169

Adam Yosef

#170

Adam Yosef

#171

Adam Yosef

#172

Adam Yosef

#173

Adam Yosef

#174

Adam Yosef

#175

Adam Yosef

#176

Adam Yosef

#177

Adam Yosef

#178

Adam Yosef

#179

Adam Yosef

#180

Adam Yosef

#181

Adam Yosef

#182

Adam Yosef

#183

Adam Yosef

#184

Adam Yosef

#185

Adam Yosef

#186

Adam Yosef

#188

Adam Yosef

#189

Adam Yosef

#190

Adam Yosef

#191

Adam Yosef

#192

Adam Yosef

#193

Adam Yosef

#194

Adam Yosef

#195

Adam Yosef

#196

Adam Yosef

#197

Adam Yosef

#198

Adam Yosef

#199

Adam Yosef

#200

Adam Yosef

#201

Adam Yosef

#202

Adam Yosef

#203

Adam Yosef

#204

Adam Yosef

#205

Adam Yosef

#206

Adam Yosef

#207

Adam Yosef

#208

Adam Yosef

#209

Adam Yosef

#210

Adam Yosef

#211

Adam Yosef

#212

Adam Yosef

#213

Adam Yosef

#214

Adam Yosef

#215

Adam Yosef

#216

Adam Yosef

#217

Adam Yosef

#218

Adam Yosef

#219

Adam Yosef

#220

Adam Yosef

#221

Adam Yosef

#222

Adam Yosef

#223

Adam Yosef

#224

Adam Yosef

#225

Adam Yosef

#226

Adam Yosef

#227

Adam Yoef

#228