An estimated 3,000 people attended Brighton's first-ever Dyke Pride on Saturday, 5 September, far exceeding organisers' initial target of 500 attendees and signalling strong demand for community-led LGBTQ+ spaces in the city.
Held at St Ann's Well Gardens, the free event brought together dykes, friends and allies for a day of live music, speeches, arts and crafts, games, food stalls and a makers' market organised by Dyke Mart Brighton.
Organised by a small team of volunteers without corporate sponsorship, Brighton Dyke Pride was created as an alternative to mainstream Pride events and aimed to centre community, accessibility and grassroots activism.
The packed programme featured DJs including Kate Wildblood, Queenie, Louise Fidelia and FLOOSI, alongside drag performances hosted by Prince of Persia and Simply the Jest, live music and speeches from activists, artists and community organisers.
Organisers said the turnout demonstrated a growing appetite for dyke-centred spaces and opportunities for LGBTQ+ people to come together amid a challenging political climate. During the event, a small group of anti-trans protesters attempted to disrupt proceedings but left after around an hour as attendees chanted "LGB with the T".
The event was supported by organisations including Trans Pride Brighton, Brighton Bear Weekend, Brighton Gay Men's Chorus and Worthing Pride, which provided resources and assistance to help make the day possible.
Speaking during the event, co-founder Emily Payne said: "Joy for us dykes, and other communities, really does feel so radical in the times we are living in now."
She added: "That's why us coming together right now is both fun and full of joy and a political movement all in one go."
Co-founder Zoë Schulz paid tribute to generations of LGBTQ+ activists who had fought for community spaces and rights, saying: "We are only here because of the dykes who came before us that believed they could change their world."
She added: "What we have done here today proves that completely wrong. We didn't create this space thanks to politicians or corporations. We created it because we wanted a space that belonged to us."
Fellow co-founder Billy Ballantyne said the event showed the power of grassroots organising. "It has been an honour to work with so many awesome, like-minded, creative, hard-working people to make a space that feels so magic," they said. "People want spaces that feel genuinely connected to the local community and authentic in their values."
Jen Benyovits, another co-founder, highlighted the event's commitment to trans inclusion and accessibility. "Our team is not only comprised of trans organisers, and our line-up centred and uplifted trans voices, but we also worked hard to maintain a safe space for trans attendees," she said.
Benyovits also praised the event's accessibility measures, which included wheelchair viewing access, rest areas, British Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop system.
Among those speaking at the event was Brighton LGBTQ+ pioneer and DJ Kate Wildblood, who reflected on her involvement in organising Brighton Pride more than three decades ago. "In 1991, as part of the organising committee of the first Brighton Pride since 1973, I stood on North Street looking up at a Pride banner we had convinced Brighton Council to display across the street," she said.
"Today I stand here with the same sense of immense pride. This is a first we will all remember for decades to come. This is us. This is Dyke Pride."
Co-organiser and Dyke Mart Brighton founder Edie-Mea McCartney described the day as "wonderful", adding that community had been at the heart of the event.
"Seeing everyone come together, supporting each other, sharing their work and just enjoying being in the same space was so special," she said.
Following the success of the inaugural event, organisers hope Brighton Dyke Pride will become an annual, community-owned celebration that continues to provide free and accessible spaces for the dyke community in the years ahead.
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