This year’s Brighton & Hove Pride was a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ visibility and rights are never to be taken for granted—and Pride Community Foundation (PCF) was proud to be at the heart of it.

Kicking off the weekend’s celebrations, PCF hosted the annual VIP Pride Breakfast at Brighton i360 in collaboration with Nightcap. The event welcomed the Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, as well as a wide range of changemakers. These included community leaders, local politicians — such as Brighton & Hove City Council Leader, Cllr Bella Sankey — and members of Parliament, including the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle MP.

In his keynote speech, PCF’s CEO Leslie Clarke made a clear and urgent call: it’s time to change the conversation.

As Clarke pointed out, the global rollback of LGBTQ+ rights is no longer a distant threat—it’s happening in Europe and here in the UK. From the actions of the Italian government to the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Britain, the tide is shifting, and not in our favour.

“LGBTQ+ equity can feel like a hot potato issue for lawmakers, local politicians and business leaders,” Clarke said. “But now is the time to grab it—not to shy away.”

The Pride Breakfast wasn’t just a moment of reflection—it marked the beginning of PCF’s advocacy work, with its first campaign launching later this autumn. Rooted in community expertise and powered by lived experience, the campaign will put pressure where it’s needed most.

A huge thank you goes to Brighton Pride CIC and Paul Kemp for inviting PCF to continue this annual tradition, and to all those who made space for these vital conversations.

As the parade set off under this year’s fiery theme, Ravishing Rage, PCF marched proudly at the front—fuelled by love, defiance, and joy. The group was joined by Ted Brown, a legendary LGBTQ+ rights campaigner and UK's first pride march organiser.

The crowd’s reception was electric, a wave of celebration and solidarity that rolled through the streets of Brighton. Among the most striking visuals were the protest signs held high—each one inspired by quotes and stories from the ‘United in Pride’ exhibition at Jubilee Library.

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That exhibition, a joint effort by United in Pride, Brighton Pride CIC, Trans Pride Brighton, and Pride Community Foundation, continues to attract attention days after Pride weekend. Titled “United in Pride – Our Journey from the 60s to Today,” it charts over six decades of LGBTQ+ resistance, celebration, and change. Through photographs, community stories and historic moments—from the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 to the rise of Trans Pride Brighton—the exhibition captures both progress and the challenges ahead.

Brighton’s role throughout this timeline is unmistakable. As the birthplace of many firsts in LGBTQ+ organising, the city has grown into a beacon of inclusivity and pride. The exhibition serves as a moving tribute to this legacy—and an invitation to keep fighting for a future built on equality, safety, and inclusion.

The exhibition runs until 17 August 2025 at Jubilee Library, and remains open to all who wish to reflect on our shared past and imagine the road ahead.

From powerful conversations over breakfast to protest signs raised high, Pride 2025 reminded us that Pride is political—and PCF is just getting started.