A LGBT supporters' group is set to represent Arsenal Football Club at the London Pride Parade taking place in central London this Saturday, June 29.
Representatives of The Gay Gooners, who have grown to over 30 members since launching earlier this year, will join the Parade this weekend alongside more than 150 other groups to highlight the Club’s ongoing commitment to equality and diversity.
The Gay Gooners will carry a specially made banner in the opening section of the parade, which will commence at around 1pm in Baker Street. The parade then heads to Oxford Circus, Regent Street and along Pall Mall before going past Trafalgar Square and ending in Whitehall at approximately 4pm.
Through the ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ initiative, Arsenal Football Club supports the Football v Homophobia campaign which is committed to making football a safe and inclusive environment for all its fans. To commemorate LGBT History Month earlier this year, the Club arranged a number of different community activities and invited representatives from LGBT organisations including Football v Homophobia, The Justin Campaign, Stonewall and Kick It Out to attend a match.
The Club also hosted a special schools event in tandem with Camden and Islington LGBT Forum to discuss tackling homophobia through football and is proud to be the first Premier League football club to support London’s bid to host the Gay Games in 2018, which aims to build on the positive legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Stewart Selby, coordinator of the Gay Gooners, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be taking part in Pride and representing Arsenal’s LGBT supporter base at this fantastic event. We have had tremendous support from Arsenal Football Club and since launching the group in February, the response we have received has been incredible. We are very much looking forward to expanding our efforts further over the forthcoming season and beyond. Pride is always a wonderful spectacle, so it would be great to see lots of Arsenal fans out in force this weekend to show their support!”
London Pride is open to all and as part of the celebrations, a range of activities and entertainment will be on offer for spectators in central London throughout the day. Click here to find out more about the event.
To find out more about the Gay Gooners supporters’ group, please contact gaygooner@virginmedia.com or visit their website by clicking here
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