London has lit up with all colours of the rainbow today as the city’s Pride celebrations begin.

Thousands have gathered for an annual parade to celebrate all things LGBTQ+.

Pride in London announced their ‘Never March Alone: Championing Trans Allyship’ campaign earlier this year, saying they wanted to show the ‘joyful’ trans community they had their ‘full support’.

CEO Christopher Joell-Deshields has stressed ‘there is no Pride without the T’ ahead of today’s event.

Metro.co.uk is on the scene in London today, soaking up the colour and hearing more about the work of charities and organisations making a difference to the LGBTQ+ community.

Lizzie Jordan, 41, CEO and founder of Think 2 Speak, has a stall at Soho Square in London.

She is selling badges and posters with positive messages such as ‘You can do it’, ‘proud’ and ‘hero’.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘We support trans kids and young people across the country and we provide support and counselling.

‘We are based in Lincolnshire but we offer online help to everyone.’

Friends Carys, Hannah, Ellie and James had travelled from Reading to enjoy today’s parade.

The pals said: ‘It is the first big Pride since Covid, so it’ll be very fun. It’ll be nice to have such a diverse mix of people.

‘The way things are becoming, everything feels more divided, particularly over Trans issues, so it’s just nice to show support.’

Rain hasn’t dampened the spirits of those in attendance, who have simply donned rainbow-coloured umbrellas.

Couple Lorrie, 28, Penny, 31, wore flower crowns as they sat and enjoyed the procession.

Lorrie told Metro.co.uk: ‘We are happy to be here because it’s gay Christmas.

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‘And it’s our first one since we got engaged two years ago. And this this is the first one I am out as non binary and living a happy life.’

More than one million people hit the streets for last year’s 50th anniversary, and large numbers are expected for the 2023 parade with more than 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations.

The afternoon will bring a line-up of exciting entertainment for attendees.

Chart-topper Rita Ora has confirmed she’ll be among those performing, taking to the stage in Trafalgar Square at around 3.30pm.

But today’s march has been marred by backlash from eco-activists.

Just Stop Oil had threatened to disrupt London’s Pride march if the parade does not stop accepting sponsorship money from ‘high-polluting industries’.

In a statement, LGBT+ members of the group also called on organisers to ban floats from those organisations in the parade – and condemn new oil, gas and coal.

‘These partnerships embarrass the LGBTQ+ community at a time when much of the cultural world is rejecting ties to these toxic industries,’ they said.

Lucy Hogarth, of Extinction Rebellion, said it was important for all attendees to be aware of the issue.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘This is my first Pride out as pansexual, but it is sponsored by United Airlines. It was a very difficult moment for me when I found out and I do not want to just accept that because they are just helping out their name through sponsoring this year.

‘I want to enjoy Pride but I want to make people aware of this.’

‘Pride was born from protest,’ the Just Stop Oil statement continued.

‘It speaks to how far we’ve come as a community that high-polluting industries and the banks that fund them now see Pride as a useful vehicle for sanitising their reputations, waving rainbow flags in one hand whilst accelerating social collapse with the other.’

The activists gathered at Parliament Square at 12pm – the same time London’s Pride parade was due to begin at Hyde Park Corner.

In the end, the protest was slightly lacklustre.

At around 1:25pm, nine LGBTQ+ Just Stop Oil supporters blocked the parade in front of the Coca-Cola float.

Some sat in front of the vehicle whilst two others sprayed pink and black paint over the road. 

Several were arrested, the Metropolitan Police have since confirmed.

The force tweeted: ‘At 1.30pm a small number of protestors sat down in the road at Piccadilly junction with Down Street causing the #PrideInLondon Parade to stop.

‘At 1.46pm hours, seven people were arrested for public nuisance. At 1.47pm the road was cleared and the Parade has continued.’

‘I doubt the streets of central London have ever been as colourful’

Metro reporter Brooke Davies shares her thoughts as the London in Pride parade comes to a close

I doubt the streets of central London have ever been as colourful.

At every corner today you were met with rainbow flags and the sweet music of Shania Twain that no one was able to escape from – not that anyone would.

Huge cheers from the crowd were heard as as Dykes With Bags revved through the streets, followed shortly afterwards by rainbow clad barristers complete with their court room wigs.

Pride has simply never buzzed more. Reveller, marchers and spectators were clearly trying to shake off the years of tightly bound Covid restrictions, making 2023’s one of released pent up energy.

Just Stop Oil’s stunt made such little impact it was hard to find anyone who knew it had happened.

Their white spray paint blended in with the already brightly coloured streets.

So much so to the untrained eye they simply looked like they were a part of of the parade.

Late night bars have nearly filled up by mid-afternoon, and it’s clear they will only get busier as move from the main stage’s onto side streets for a week deserved pint.

It’s hard to see anyone losing their energy until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Pride content from Metro.co.uk

Map shows London Pride parade 2023 route and best places to stand

LGBTQ+ Ukrainians ‘still here, still queer’ as Russia tries to ‘wipe them out’

The London art exhibition helping persecuted LGBTQ+ people across the globe

Inside the only resource for bisexual victims of sexual violence in the UK

Drag performer’s rallying call with 1.5million expected at UK’s biggest Pride party

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