Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London, on a day of Pride celebrations across the Square Mile.
Holmes received the honour ahead of appearing as guest of honour at a Pride panel event at Mansion House, the official residence of the Lady Mayor of the City of London. The two-time gold medallist, who won the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Athens Olympics, came out as gay in 2022 after hiding her sexuality for decades, including during her time in the Army, when gay people were banned from serving.
Speaking after receiving the Freedom, Holmes said: "Much of my life has been about finding the confidence to be myself on and off the track. Being able to speak openly about my experiences and connect with others who feel the same has been hugely important."
The panel event, organised by the City of London Corporation's City Pride staff network and supported by City Bridge Foundation and Amazon, brought together guests including Birds of a Feather actor Linda Robson, The Traitors' Amanda Collier, trans advocate Ella Morgan, Dr Ranj Singh, swimmer and presenter Michael Gunning, and actors Gabriel Constantin and Lee Knight. The evening closed with a performance by Heather Small of her hit Proud.
Scene was there on the night and spoke to several guests, including Oscar Davies, the UK's first non-binary barrister, drag queen Ella Vaday, Zelah Glasson, Amanda Collier, Stonewall CEO Simon Blake and Alderman Tim Hailes. Hailes is set to become the City of London's 698th Lord Mayor, and the first openly gay person to hold the role in its history, when he takes office in November. Interviews are live on Scene's social channels now, with more coverage of Pride in the Square Mile to follow over the coming days.
The Mansion House event was followed by the City Corporation's now customary Pride flag raising at Guildhall, one of a series of events taking place across the Square Mile this Pride month.
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