Warwickshire Pride organisers call for focus on the haters after the event was vandalised for a third year in a row

Warwickshire Pride returned to Leamington on August 16 with a march and then the event at the Pump Room Gardens.

The organisers hailed the event a success – but once again, in the lead up to the event, the site was vandalised, despite security being hired.

On the morning of August 16, Daniel Browne, Chair of Warwickshire Pride, issued a rallying cry for members of the public to help get the site sorted ahead of the event later in the day.

Thanks to people’s kindness the site was restored in time for the festival.

However, the organisers have now said they will have to ‘rethink’ the event going forward due to the continued issues.

Daniel said: “Unfortunately, the vandalism was expected due to it happening in the previous two years.

"There have been a lot of conversations and comments online asking why the security failed and why the police haven't done anything to help.

"From our perspective, the security were professional, did the best they could in a challenging situation, and were simply overwhelmed.

"The vandalism could have been much worse if it wasn't for the security on site doing their best.

"The police are aware of what happened and are investigating. We definitely call on them to do more to protect LGBTQ+ people and the local LGBTQ+ charity.

“We will need to think about how we do this next year. Protecting the site will take considerable funds and resources, both of which are challenging for a small LGBTQ+ charity to come by.

"Conversations will take place over the coming months before we start to plan next year's event.

Daniel was also keen for the focus to be put on the haters.

He said: “However, what needs to be spoken about in the meantime is why this happened and why it keeps happening, not just to us, but to other Prides around the country too.

"We need to be talking about the rise in hate towards LGBTQ+ people, the transphobia being peddled by the government, the anti-LGBTQ+ agenda of the new Warwickshire County Council administration, and what is at the root of it all.

“The focus has to be on the hate and what needs to happen to challenge it.

"Recently, The Courier had to turn off comments on a Facebook post due to hundreds of hateful people commenting and leaving negative reactions to an article promoting the festival.

"Another local media publication posted a similar article and it received a comment from a local person saying we need to be shot.

“Recently a trans person had fireworks aimed at them at Newbold Comyn, while transphobic slurs were shouted.

"During the festival I was attacked on three occasions and have received so much hate online in the run up to the festival that I have now been advised to carry a panic button to press if something happens to me.

“These are the things we need to be talking about, and these are the things that show why we still need Pride and why it needs to be a protest.

"The hate only shows why Warwickshire Pride exists.

"However, it also needs to be a wake up call to all the authorities because it's getting worse and I am really worried that serious harm is going to come to someone unless there is a much stronger effort to protect and support LGBTQ+ people locally.

“Despite all the hate, there is a huge positive at the heart of it.

"That is the way the community rallied round to help clean up and put the site back together before the festival opened. Such a strong show of community power shows that amongst all the hate and attempts to derail what we do, hate will never win.

"We'll just get stronger, louder, and prouder.”