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The First Ever Reading Pride!......
review
Off I set with the trusty camera and the less-trusty laptop. To be fair, after rail delays (and dinner at Gatwick), alcohol-related illness at a rather rowdy birthday party and a fair tummyache the following dawn, I'll admit to hoping Reading Pride would be nice and gentle. Thankfully, my pleas to the gods of LGBT were ignored, and despite it all I felt substantially more excited than knackered.
The first time an event of this magnitude has been held in the town, there were apprehensions that things might falter. But no. The massive amounts of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears that the organisers evidently expended getting ready for the day paid off. True, Reading didn't pull Brighton-2004-sized crowds, but I found many people, myself included, commenting on just how cosy the festivities were. People seemed to feel a genuine sense of community and belonging.
Before sentimentality sets in, I should note that the gyrations of girl band Forbidden, the camp comedy of innumerable drag acts (including Trashville Tennessee, who sadly I just couldn't seem to find to photo), phallic gargoyles, copious amounts of alcohol and a pair of nuns from Edinburgh provided an alternative to the cuddliness for those who wanted it. It was scorching hot, and the boys were sexy. Recipe for success if there ever was one. And long after the sun had set behind the trees, I was snapping away in the Granby, bar-cum-club. Which was utterly rammed. Lovely.
2 hours on a train, 2005. It'll be more than worth it.
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about Reading Pride
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Fast becoming a major festival in the UK's Pride Calendar, Reading Pride is a non-profit members' organisation and registered charity serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of Reading and The Thames Valley. Click for more info and complete listings for Reading Pride 
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