A celebration of being free, an incredible thing and having a community to fall back on – what attendees said about Highland Pride 2023 in Inverness
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Pride's comeback four years after the last time Inverness hosted the event saw the LGBTQ+ community come together to celebrate who they are.
Across the parade march and the following party at the Northern Meeting Park, over 2000 people – from within the community and allies – were able to socialise and enjoy the entertainment on offer in a judgement-free environment.
For many, it felt like a lot of time has passed since the last Pride event in 2019, but that only added to the occasion and spectacle in the Highland capital.
After the absence, having a Pride event in Inverness perhaps resonated a little more with some than it would otherwise have done, and there was certainly an appreciation for Pride from attendees.
"Last time felt like more of a protest, because one of the churches started a petition to stop Pride, but this one feels like more of a celebration," Eglė Tamulytė said.
"It's interesting to see how different it was – there wasn't masses of protestors last time, but I was expecting some this year and I didn't see any.
"To me, it is a celebration of being free. I can compare it to where I'm from in Lithuania, which is not free – people can't get married, we are labelled paedophiles, but you don't need to come out here.
"You can just talk about your girlfriend to your co-workers and not be afraid you will be assaulted or fired, so it's a celebration that in the UK we can have this.
- WATCH: Why stall holders went to Highland Pride
- WATCH: Politicians speak at Highland Pride
- Keep up to date with the latest news from the Highland LGBTQ+ community by signing up to our newsletter, The Queerier
"Kids are here, everyone is here and it's just normal. Everyone is happy, nobody is angry, we're all having fun and that's Pride.
"It showcases how big of a community it is, because if you only go by online comments you will be disheartened, but they are in the minority.
"I feel like the end goal of Pride is for it not to be a thing, because we want being gay to not be something extraordinary."
Another attendee, Ailsa Davie, said: "I've been to Edinburgh, but this is my first time at Highland Pride. Honestly, I think this is better, I like it here more.
"I have felt nothing negative in Inverness. I look back at the march and it was huge. Everyone on the street looked happy which was amazing.
"There have always been protestors at every Pride I've been to – it's just become a part of it – but I didn't see any this year and that's incredible.
"When you look online you feel like the tide is changing and people are becoming more hateful, but we saw nothing but support which is great.
"I knew that Highland Pride existed, because I saw that it was cancelled last year, but I did not expect it to be this big.
"It is a safer place than I think people would expect. There are so many people that want to divide us – especially against trans people – but we are a community that is together and everyone is involved in that."
Others were going to Pride for the first time, providing its own perspective on the day.
"I was visiting a friend from London and had the opportunity to attend Pride, but I'd never done that before," Aira said.
"It's important to my friend, and I wanted to be there for her. It's more than just support – it's showing up for someone when they don't ask you to.
"It's about having a community to fall back on, having a safe space where you feel fully accepted and nothing is questioned – you just are who you are, and that's celebrated.
"I think I need to acknowledge that I come from a liberal bubble, which gives me the confidence and the optimism to believe that we're moving in a positive direction where not a single group of people are isolated or celebrated.
"Although I might not be someone who often feels excluded, I really like to see when other people feel actively included. This helps. Is there more to it? Absolutely. Is this a fantastic start, also absolutely.
"I guess I expected less of everything (at Highland Pride). I just thought it would be a lot smaller.
"That's not just in terms of the size of the event, I thought there would be less happiness and joy of all sorts, I thought there would be less representation of all sorts, but there isn't.
"It's a very diverse community and a large community, and that's been the most pleasantly surprising thing to see."
