Wimborne has held its first Pride celebration during the town’s Folk Festival parade and gathering.
The event took place on Saturday 13 June, with people joining the parade and meeting in the square to raise awareness of Pride in the town, which is Dorset’s 2026 Town of Culture and has a population of 11,411.
It was organised by Phil Webb, who was outed as gay while serving as mayor of Wimborne Minster more than 3 decades ago, and was attended by local MP Vikki Slade.
The celebration followed some controversy after 2 men, described as claiming to be from a local church, attended a consultation meeting and suggested sexual or gender orientations might be inappropriate for the folk festival dance parade.
Vikki Slade said Wimborne’s Pride celebration was “long overdue” and described it as a “fantastic success”, adding that everyone deserves to feel seen and represented in their community.
She said these events matter in a close-knit town where Pride has not had a presence before, particularly for LGBTQ+ people who may feel alone and want to connect with others.
The MP said she hopes the event is “just the beginning” and that Wimborne Pride can become an annual celebration, with the potential to grow into a larger event for the whole town.
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