Chichester Pride promises seven hours of fun and frolics

It will all be happening on the leafy green front lawn at Chichester College between 12 and 7pm on Saturday, May 25. Dawn Gracie, one of the key figures in its organisation, is delighted at the way Chichester has taken pride to its heart: “This is year three and I am absolutely thrilled at the way people have embraced Pride in Chichester. Year three, I can't believe it. It feels like we are 30! But Chichester has really taken to Pride, and the support from the councils and from Bid has been overwhelming. It has taken us a couple of years. In the first year we had no real idea what was going to happen and in the second year the momentum was building but now in year three people are thinking this is a proper event and they really want to support it. Pride is important globally to show the visibility of the pride community. Things have progressed so much in recent years but there are still battles to be had. There is still unfairness and there is definitely still work to be done.”

But Pride has established itself remarkably quickly in Chichester: “We have had key supporters and without them it would not have been the success that it has become. We will never forget who has helped us to get the word out and to make it happen. It is all very, very exciting. This year we are in a new location on the college site. We're right at the front. Before we were behind the college and this is much better for us in terms of visibility. All our sponsors will be much more visible from the road and we have got the beautiful Chichester Cathedral spire as our backdrop now. But the costs are higher. We will be in a big open space that requires a lot more fencing and we're working with various suppliers to make sure that it is secure and safe. There are pros and cons but one of the big pros is the visibility.”

As for the entertainment: “For the first year ever we have got RuPaul's drag race star Sum Ting Wong: “They will be one of the big highlights. I never use the word headliner because everyone is a headliner as far as I'm concerned but Sum Ting Wong will definitely be one of the highlights.”

Chichester College, the University of Chichester, CAOS Musical Productions and a strong line-up of drag queens and drag kings will also be taking part: “And we are very excited that for the second year we are bringing The Cocoa Butter Club. We had them last year. Chichester is 94 per cent white and given that we are wanting to be inclusive and display diversity we want to represent the six per cent non-white community. They are an ensemble of performers of colour. They are a London-based co-op and they are doing a takeover to perform the finest cabaret.”

For the first time ever, Chichester Pride will be preceded by a parade in the morning. Leaving from Priory Park on Saturday at 10.30, it will process along Guildhall Street and then turn left down North Street towards the Market Cross. It will then sweep around the Market Cross and will finish outside the cathedral for speeches before dispersing.