I’ve been to two Prides as Novice Wye in as many weeks. Pride in Edinburgh was as big as you’d expect, but the one a week before that in East Kilbride was the polar opposite.

When I first heard that there was to be a Pride march and event in East Kilbride, I was wondering if we would be marching around roundabouts and towards the shopping centre. In fact, K-Pride, to give it it’s proper title, took place in woodlands- K-Woodlands- just outside the town centre. This meant the march was almost a ramble around the woods, ending up on a hill where there were stalls and food. Down in the valley there was a drum circle tent and hammocks, which suited the weather. (There was a hint of drizzle early on, but it gave way to patchy cloud and sunshine.) I had my picture taken with Mya Fairr, who hosts the first ever drag show in Clyde Valley (“Le Fairr” in Wishaw), and also fellow queens Dharma Geddon and Alana Duvey turned out to support.

Novice Wye Dangle of the Glasgow Mission of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence with Mya Fairr (left)

There was around 200 attending- smaller than Oban Pride a month previously- and it lacked the visibility that comes with marching through the streets, but it had a real community feel. I still ended up talking to loads of people, and was quite grateful to have a rest in a hammock at the end of the day.

Novice Wye Dangle of the Glasgow Mission of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence relaxes in a hammock at the end of K-Pride 2019

The community feel did make me wonder what it would be if my local area were to have their own community Pride in somewhere like Alexandra Park. Little did I know I would find out today that there is a similar community Pride event called Pride Outside Festival, not that far away from there, and it’s this Saturday! Perhaps this is how Prides are going to evolve as they spread out from the big cities?