The Worshipful the Mayor of Southend, Cllr Stephen Habermel has raised the progress flag today at Porters Civic House marking the eve of Southend Pride week.
Southend's Mayor hoisted the flag at Porters Civic House at 11am today (Friday 7 July 2023), marking the eve of Southend Pride week which runs between Saturday 8 July and Saturday 15 July.
The Mayor said: “We are proud to support Southend Pride in the work it does year-round in raising awareness and championing diversity and inclusion, creating safe spaces and a cohesive community in our City.
“Here in Southend we celebrate the rich diversity of our City and fly the progress flag over our civic buildings to demonstrate our visible support of the LGBTQ+ community, and as a symbol that everyone is welcome and included in the City of Southend.”
On Saturday 15 July, between 12.00pm and 8.00pm, Southend Pride Festival will be closing the week at Warrior Square Gardens. Everyone is welcome for a day of fun and relaxation to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
Sam Adams, chair of Southend Pride, said: “The Pride movement is extremely important and necessary, especially outside of the large cities where local visibility and representation matter.
“Southend Pride is a week of events, from raising the flag here today, through to the main Festival and Parade on Saturday 15 July. Throughout the week (8th-15th July) we present a full programme of events which celebrate the city's diverse talent and LGBTQ+ history and culture. The week will culminate in the fabulous Parade and Festival at Warrior Square.
“As a community pride we value the ability to march through our High Street and hold our Festival in the city centre, where all are welcome to attend and experience the diversity of Southend.”
To find out more about Southend Pride festival, go to the Visit Southend website. You can follow Southend Pride on Facebook at @SouthendonSeaPride or on Twitter at @Southend_Pride.
Photos of the flag raising ceremony can be viewed on our Flickr page.