About Calne Pride

Following the success of Swindon and, more recently, Chippenham Pride events, it was felt that the ever-growing town of Calne deserved its own Pride event to celebrate the amazing diversity within our town.

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In June 2023, members of the local LGBTQIA+ community and allies met to celebrate Pride, with a low-key event at Bremhill View Social Club. At this event we discussed the possibility of a larger scale Pride event in Calne, involving all the community in a celebration of diversity and equality. In November 2023 nearly 30 local residents representing all parts of the town’s population met and decided to forge ahead with a big Pride event on 1st June 2024. No small order, given the timescale! Since then, planning has gone from strength to strength, with our first large scale event planned for The Rec, preceded by a small march through the town centre. We have been lucky enough to receive start-up funding from Calne Town Council, who have also supported us with practical help, such as printing and access to The Rec, etc. Local businesses have also given their support, through sponsorship packages. We also held a very successful day long Fundraiser, at Calne Liberal Club, in March. We have further fundraising events for the coming year, but are also playing our part in supporting local community events, such as Calne Duck Race and the town’s ever popular Carnival.

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Small-town Pride festivals play a vital role in bringing local communities together and allowing people to be their authentic selves in a way that reflects the existing intersectionality of big-city events. Many LGBTQIA+ people living in rural communities struggle to find opportunities to be ‘out and proud’ and can miss out on a sense of immediate and visible queer community to engage with; or worse, see hostility and homophobia running rife on the doorstep.

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UK drag queen Cheddar Gorgeous suggests that Pride is, in addition to the opportunity for people to celebrate and exist as their authentic selves, about “allowing people [who are not part of the LGBTQIA+ community] to affirm their commitment to being allies” and “demystifying queerness, making people a little less scared of people who are different to them.”

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At Calne Pride, we welcome people from all walks of life regardless of gender, age, sexuality, disability, ethnicity, neurodiversity and socioeconomic status. We look forward to seeing the local community come out in support of the beautiful diversity that thrives beyond the cities!