Traveller Pride “Glad to be back” at in-person pride events

Traveller Pride has attended two Pride events in a packed July schedule. The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) 50 years of Pride Anniversary event took place on 1st July, exactly 50 years after the first pride in 1972.

Two weeks after the GLF Pride Anniversary event, Traveller Pride were also at Trans Pride Brighton on the 16th July.

Traveller Pride has not marched together since their launch in 2019 and their debut at London Pride, so it was good to be back!

“We chose our events well this year,” said Tyler Hatwell, Traveller Pride’s founder. “We wanted to avoid some of the bigger more corporate events and stay to things that felt important to us as a community: fighting for and alongside trans people and commemorating the historical struggle so far.”

The London march was attended by many of the original GLF organisers and attendees of the first pride which retraced the same route, ending up at Hyde Park where Traveller Pride were given the opportunity to speak with the crowd.

“It was an opportunity to introduce the LGBT+ community to Traveller culture as well as to the threats we now face,” said Tyler Hatwell. “We were big and visible and made tonnes of new connections.”

Tyler Hatwell linked the pride events to the new anti-Traveller laws. “This comes at a time when protests such as pride are under attack by the same bill that attacks Travellers, and at a time when Travellers are demonised in the media using many of the same tropes as are used against trans people like; ‘they’re after our kids!’ etc’,” said Tyler Hatwell.

London Pride was followed by Trans Pride Brighton, which was held on a beautiful hot day in the famous seaside resort town. Trans Pride Brighton saw the debut of the Traveller Pride stall, where T-shirts, stickers and information were available as well as a hand-painted funfair-style game which proved popular with visitors. At Trans Pride Brighton Traveller Pride had a stall, including a fairground game. Money raised from the stall goes into the Traveller Pride Trans Solidarity fund.

“Trans Pride Brighton, now in its tenth year, feels more important than ever, with the current anti-Trans climate we're living in,” said Nico who went along with Traveller Pride. “Coupled with the Policing Act, attending as part of Traveller Pride makes it even more necessary, but also more special,” added Nico. “It's like a weight has been lifted - I'm surrounded by people who really understand the intersectionality of it all, and there's always time to celebrate too.”

“When I first came out, we didn't think that there were 20,000 trans people in the whole country, so being in a crowd of 20,000 trans people, and their friends and families, with all my Gypsy friends too, was amazing,” said Traveller Pride member Percy.

“Some of the Traveller Pride group travelled across the country to get to both events,” explained Tyler Hatwell.

“Some had been to our other events before such as our regular meetups in London and Manchester, but for a few this was their first interaction with Traveller Pride and was their first pride march."

“It felt safe to come to pride with other Travellers. I knew it’d be alright,” said one Traveller Pride member.”

Traveller Pride wants to expand to new parts of the country and to host more events, and they are looking for people with ideas to approach them! They already hold a regular meetup space in London and the venue has just been confirmed for the next five years, so they now have a regular home in the South East and all are welcome to drop in. The meet-ups happen every second Saturday of the month from 1-4pm.

“If you’re thinking of getting involved, please do,” said Tyler Hatwell. “We have lots of people who come who can’t be in the photos or who need a bit of extra support, or who aren’t even sure if it’s for them. We’re a welcoming bunch and the aim of it is to simply provide space where you’re not going to be judged for who you are. We’re all so pleased with how the events went and how much closer it’s made us.”

Bela Varadi, a Roma photographer, went along to both events with Traveller Pride to take these wonderful photographs for the Travellers’ Times.

Tyler Hatwell and Mike Doherty/TT News

(All photographs © Bela Varadi)