we were there!!!

Scouts took part in a fantastic London Pride celebration on Saturday. It’s the sixth year that we’ve attended this LGBT event, and the turnout was bigger than ever.

We were there to show the thousands of spectators that Scouting is diverse, inclusive and welcoming to people from all walks of life. For the first time, we were joined by young people between the ages of 16 and 18.

The revellers at Pride were in high spirits despite some drizzly weather. Almost 90 people – including volunteers, young people and staff – represented Scouting in the parade through central London.

They were decked out in bright purple I-scout T-shirts and some dressed up as adventurous Scout activities, wearing kayaks and tents. This year Scouts were at the head of the parade, with an eye-catching, decorated Scout-branded coach (courtesy of our partner National Express).

For the first time we held a pre-Pride event. Dean Jefferys (Regional Commissioner for London), Matt Mills (Regional Commissioner for East of England) and author and campaigner James Wharton set the scene on why Pride is so important. There was also the opportunity to network and find out about our team of Specialist Advisers in Inclusion and Diversity.

Our attendance at Pride was organised with FLAGS, the National Scout Active Support Unit which supports LGBT adults in Scouting. As part of our commitment to diversity, we’ve created new resources on gender identity and sexual orientation in partnership with the charities Stonewall, The Gender Trust and Mermaids.

Watch our Pride video, shown in Trafalgar Square during the celebrations. 

submitted and taken from TSA website