Use our pull down menu on your laptop / pc to access reports on each of the Pride events in the Dorset towns listed above.
Scroll down to see ..
Dorset Prides info, with links to our pages with reports & pics from each one.
A round up of Dorset Prides during 2023
UK Pride dates 2023
Soon we will have all your Dorset 2024 Pride info here, so book mark this page & check back with us later.
Scroll down to see ..
Dorset Prides info, with links to our pages with reports & pics from each one.
A round up of Dorset Prides during 2023
UK Pride dates 2023
Soon we will have all your Dorset 2024 Pride info here, so book mark this page & check back with us later.
Pride events in Dorset 2023.
(posted here 25/07/2023) ** Dorset enjoyed a record number of Pride events during 2023 - SIX in total! ** Use the pull down menu, or links below to jump to our pages with reports & pics from individual Dorset Prides:- Bournemouth Pride BourneFree - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/bournemouth-pride-bournefree.html Dorset Pub Prides - (three in 2023!) https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-pub-prides.html Dorset Youth Pride - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-youth-pride.html Chesil Youth Pride - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/chesil-youth-pride.html Dorchester Love Parade 2018 - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorchester-love-parade.html Weymouth & Portland Pride 2019 - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/weymouth--portland-pride.html |
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If you like Dorset LGBT Community events .....
You might like to check out our Dorset LGBT community monthly events diary page - often with over 35 Dorset events listed every month for you to enjoy! See - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary-monthly-listings.html
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You might like to check out our Dorset LGBT community monthly events diary page - often with over 35 Dorset events listed every month for you to enjoy! See - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary-monthly-listings.html
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A round up of Dorset Prides during 2023
(posted here 11/02/23, updated 25/02/2023 updated 13/04/2023, more updates 04/05/2023 & 06/05/2023 As you can see - we are always updating this page as it's been an AMAZING Pride year in Dorset! Latest update 26/07/2023
(posted here 11/02/23, updated 25/02/2023 updated 13/04/2023, more updates 04/05/2023 & 06/05/2023 As you can see - we are always updating this page as it's been an AMAZING Pride year in Dorset! Latest update 26/07/2023

Pub Pride is quite new on the LGBT calendar, being created and promoted by “Ask for Clive”, the LGBT pub and bar venue safety initiative. Its aim is to celebrate the start of Pride month at your local. 2023 saw over 300 venues across the UK registered to take part, with three in Dorset. The Waterloo Pub in Weymouth successfully hosted Pub Pride last year (2022). Weymouth Gay Group (WGG) contacted the three Dorset Pub Pride venues in advance of the day (26th May 2023) and we offered our support in helping to promote any events they were putting on. We were please to hear that The Globe in Swanage had a successful drag night, but we are still unsure if anything was put on at Hardys Pub in Dorchester? The third pub registered on the Pub Pride website was The Wyke Smugglers in Weymouth. This venue has recently had a change of management, and while nothing special happened this year, they are keen to do something next year. They also kindly invited our group to use their venue during the year.

Last year saw the first ever Dorset Youth Pride at Shire Hall Dorchester. It was a very successful and welcomed Pride event and was repeated recently for 2023. Set in the unique old court rooms this Youth Pride offered a range of activities, LGBT stalls and talks during the afternoon of June 10th all inside one venue. Weymouth Gay Group were one of many stalls there. We love this event, not just because we can have a stall, but with our laptop on our table we can show visitors our wonderful website! This helps to answer many of the enquiries we get, not just about our group, but LGBT events, news, and support in Dorset. Our website has been called “….. the LGBT Bible locally”, by Dorset NHS, so great to share it at Pride!

New for LGBT+ young people this year has been Chesil Youth Pride. Organised by staff from Dorset Council and Space Youth Project, with Weymouth College being a great hosting site. This took place on 17th June, a week after the Youth Pride in Dorchester. Like Dorset Youth Pride, this new Pride event was very much focused on providing a fun and supportive day out for young people. Several organisations offering support for today’s LGBT+ youth had stalls there.
The highlight of the day was the FIRST EVER Pride parade along the Prom! - Weymouth’s esplanade. This has been a dream of the local LGBT community for many years, so a HUGE thanks to all at Chesil Youth Pride for making this happen!
Unfortunately, as Weymouth Gay Group (WGG) is a very informal group (our guys like it that way) we could not have an info stall at Chesil Youth Pride as we don’t have public liability insurance – an issue that has cropped up at other events we would like to be embraced by and welcomed at within the local Dorset LGBT community. It would have been brill if two or more of our WGG guys carried our bannor in the Pride Parade. Perhaps next year?
For those of us young at heart and perhaps not otherwise very youthful, it is a real joy to see the progress that young people today can enjoy. This has been summed up beautifully by Debbs from the Weymouth “This is Me” Transgender group who recently said this on social media about Dorset Youth Pride at Shire Hall: -
Unfortunately, as Weymouth Gay Group (WGG) is a very informal group (our guys like it that way) we could not have an info stall at Chesil Youth Pride as we don’t have public liability insurance – an issue that has cropped up at other events we would like to be embraced by and welcomed at within the local Dorset LGBT community. It would have been brill if two or more of our WGG guys carried our bannor in the Pride Parade. Perhaps next year?
For those of us young at heart and perhaps not otherwise very youthful, it is a real joy to see the progress that young people today can enjoy. This has been summed up beautifully by Debbs from the Weymouth “This is Me” Transgender group who recently said this on social media about Dorset Youth Pride at Shire Hall: -

“A fantastic day seeing the younger generation not afraid of expressing their sexuality or gender identity. There were some who were just taking their first steps into being who they are and being given encouragement by others who have been where they are and able to share how they coped and answer any questions they may have. I wish when I was their age, I'd had the access to information and help they are now slowly but more readily able to get” Debbs from the Weymouth “This is Me” Transgender group.
Growing up at a time when it was illegal to be who you are, and also living though schooling with section 28, has left its scars on a whole generation. Something that some of our Weymouth Gay Group guys are still struggling with many years later. Just wish we had Youth Pride back in our day!

Dorset’s last Pride for 2023 – The BIG ONE! BOURNE FREE – Bournemouth Pride. Wow! What a Gay Day! Seven of us ventured out by train from Weymouth & Dorchester for Dorset's biggest LGBT+ annual Pride event - BourneFree.
The event did not disappoint, although we did have a drop of rain.
A first for this year was our advert on the huge main video screen (see pic below) - oh, and our beer mats went down a treat at the bars!
The event did not disappoint, although we did have a drop of rain.
A first for this year was our advert on the huge main video screen (see pic below) - oh, and our beer mats went down a treat at the bars!
Extract from Bournemouth Echo (08/07/2023)
Chris Ashton, chairman of Bourne Free, said: “Bourne Free is Bournemouth’s pride festival, which is a celebration of equality, diversity and inclusion in Dorset. Dorset is quite an inclusive county and we are lucky to live here, however hate crime went up by 33 per cent this year – that's why it is still important to have pride."
Comment from Weymouth Gay Group - We did not see a Dorset Police stand anywhere (or Dorset Police commissioner) like past years. Would have liked to have asked them what they are doing about the rise in LGBT+ Hate crime? - and will they be bringing back LAGLO Officers - like the Met Police will be?
(Gay Times - https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/met-police-restores-lgbtq-liaison-officers-to-rebuild-trust-with-community/)
Great that BourneFree had taken onboard some of the comments from last year, easier entry, tables in the community area, and a much welcomed marque for shelter when the rain came! You can see our write up from last year here - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/bournemouth-pride-bournefree.html
However, we are still hearing comments from people who enjoyed all the community stalls and entertainment in the Lower Gardens during previous years (which was free) and reached out to the wider community, rather, as some say, how we are now hidden away in a out of the way park. Bournemouth Pride is still an expensive day out from Weymouth for those on a low income. £20 train, £20 entry into Meyrick Park, drinks £5.
Huge thanks to all the BourneFree team and volunteers who helped the day run so well. Plus enormous thanks for the on screen advert and accepting our beer mats at your bars!
Chris Ashton, chairman of Bourne Free, said: “Bourne Free is Bournemouth’s pride festival, which is a celebration of equality, diversity and inclusion in Dorset. Dorset is quite an inclusive county and we are lucky to live here, however hate crime went up by 33 per cent this year – that's why it is still important to have pride."
Comment from Weymouth Gay Group - We did not see a Dorset Police stand anywhere (or Dorset Police commissioner) like past years. Would have liked to have asked them what they are doing about the rise in LGBT+ Hate crime? - and will they be bringing back LAGLO Officers - like the Met Police will be?
(Gay Times - https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/met-police-restores-lgbtq-liaison-officers-to-rebuild-trust-with-community/)
Great that BourneFree had taken onboard some of the comments from last year, easier entry, tables in the community area, and a much welcomed marque for shelter when the rain came! You can see our write up from last year here - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/bournemouth-pride-bournefree.html
However, we are still hearing comments from people who enjoyed all the community stalls and entertainment in the Lower Gardens during previous years (which was free) and reached out to the wider community, rather, as some say, how we are now hidden away in a out of the way park. Bournemouth Pride is still an expensive day out from Weymouth for those on a low income. £20 train, £20 entry into Meyrick Park, drinks £5.
Huge thanks to all the BourneFree team and volunteers who helped the day run so well. Plus enormous thanks for the on screen advert and accepting our beer mats at your bars!
Links-
Ask for Clive https://askforclive.com/
Ask for Clive twitter https://twitter.com/clive_ask
Pub Pride https://askforclive.com/pub-pride-2023
Shire Hall https://shirehalldorset.org/
Shire Hall twitter https://twitter.com/shirehalldorset
Chesil Youth Pride website ?
Chesil Youth Pride twitter #ChesilYouthPride
This is me https://www.thisismedorset.co.uk/
This is me twitter ?
Bourne Free - Bournemouth Pride https://www.bournefree.co.uk/
Dorset Echo:- "Six Pride events to be hoasted across Dorset in 2023"
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23536691.weymouth-pride-parade-one-events-planned-2023/
If you like Pride events, why not volunteer to help out at one? They can't run with out lots of help and support from our community, and it can be loads of fun helping out too!
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Ask for Clive https://askforclive.com/
Ask for Clive twitter https://twitter.com/clive_ask
Pub Pride https://askforclive.com/pub-pride-2023
Shire Hall https://shirehalldorset.org/
Shire Hall twitter https://twitter.com/shirehalldorset
Chesil Youth Pride website ?
Chesil Youth Pride twitter #ChesilYouthPride
This is me https://www.thisismedorset.co.uk/
This is me twitter ?
Bourne Free - Bournemouth Pride https://www.bournefree.co.uk/
Dorset Echo:- "Six Pride events to be hoasted across Dorset in 2023"
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23536691.weymouth-pride-parade-one-events-planned-2023/
If you like Pride events, why not volunteer to help out at one? They can't run with out lots of help and support from our community, and it can be loads of fun helping out too!
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Pub Pride
Pub Pride is run nationally by "Ask For Clive", and was celebrated at over 300 venues in 2023.
Dorset had THREE Pub Prides in 2023!
1. May 26th Weymouth - Pub Pride Wyke Smugglers
2. May 26th Dorchester - Pub Pride Hardy's
3. May 26th Swanage - Pub Pride The Globe
WEYMOUTH PUB PRIDE 2022
Locally it first took place at The Waterloo Pub in Weymouth in 2022, and it was a great event! Read our report here with loads of photos from 2022, and info about Pub Pride:- https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-pub-prides.html
Pub Pride is run nationally by "Ask For Clive", and was celebrated at over 300 venues in 2023.
Dorset had THREE Pub Prides in 2023!
1. May 26th Weymouth - Pub Pride Wyke Smugglers
2. May 26th Dorchester - Pub Pride Hardy's
3. May 26th Swanage - Pub Pride The Globe
WEYMOUTH PUB PRIDE 2022
Locally it first took place at The Waterloo Pub in Weymouth in 2022, and it was a great event! Read our report here with loads of photos from 2022, and info about Pub Pride:- https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-pub-prides.html
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Dorset Youth Pride.
Shire Hall Museum Dorchester 2022 & 2023
This ran for the first time last year (2022) and was a beautiful inclusive day. While it is aimed at younger people, organisers say all LGBT+ people, families and allies are welcome. It includes free entry to The Shire Hall Museum.
Weymouth Gay Group was one of many local groups with a stall there.
You can read our report, with photos here:-
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-youth-pride.html
It will be back in June 2024.
Shire Hall Museum Dorchester 2022 & 2023
This ran for the first time last year (2022) and was a beautiful inclusive day. While it is aimed at younger people, organisers say all LGBT+ people, families and allies are welcome. It includes free entry to The Shire Hall Museum.
Weymouth Gay Group was one of many local groups with a stall there.
You can read our report, with photos here:-
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/dorset-youth-pride.html
It will be back in June 2024.
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Chesil Youth Pride
Weymouth had its first official Pride march along it’s esplanade!
Which was part of the Chesil Youth Pride which took place at Weymouth College.
They said: -The first ever Chesil Youth Pride is being held on Saturday 17th June 2023, hosted by Dorset Council, Weymouth College, Space Youth Project, The Drop-In (Portland) and Dorset Police. Chesil Youth Pride 2023 is a celebration of our LGBTQ+ young people and we are welcoming all in the local community to come and join us!
The College hosted a variety of LGBT stalls and entertainment The Parade ran from the College and went via Lodmoor and right along the sea front to The Pavilion.
It has always been a dream of the local LGBT Community to have a Pride Parade along the sea front, so it’s brilliant that it is at last happend!
You can read our report, with photos here:-
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/chesil-youth-pride.html
Weymouth had its first official Pride march along it’s esplanade!
Which was part of the Chesil Youth Pride which took place at Weymouth College.
They said: -The first ever Chesil Youth Pride is being held on Saturday 17th June 2023, hosted by Dorset Council, Weymouth College, Space Youth Project, The Drop-In (Portland) and Dorset Police. Chesil Youth Pride 2023 is a celebration of our LGBTQ+ young people and we are welcoming all in the local community to come and join us!
The College hosted a variety of LGBT stalls and entertainment The Parade ran from the College and went via Lodmoor and right along the sea front to The Pavilion.
It has always been a dream of the local LGBT Community to have a Pride Parade along the sea front, so it’s brilliant that it is at last happend!
You can read our report, with photos here:-
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/chesil-youth-pride.html
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Bournemouth Pride BourneFree
Every year a group of Weymouth Gay Group guys and friends take a train trip to Bournemouth to enjoy this great gay day out! Why not join us all? It's Dorset's biggest LGBT event of the year. Photo below is from a few years ago, .... err many years ago! |
Diary date - 2024 Saturday JULY 6th.
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Jurassic Pride 2023 or 2024? (Posted here 07/07/2023)
This event has been proposed by Anabelle and her friends in Bridport. More info from Anabelle at the Dorchester / Weymouth "This is me" transgender group. Info - Anabelle 074114 65007 email anabellebayne@gmail.com Website:- https://www.thisismewaterloo.co.uk/
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This event has been proposed by Anabelle and her friends in Bridport. More info from Anabelle at the Dorchester / Weymouth "This is me" transgender group. Info - Anabelle 074114 65007 email anabellebayne@gmail.com Website:- https://www.thisismewaterloo.co.uk/
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Weymouth & Portland Pride
Had its first (and only) Pride event in 2019. It is unknown if there will be another one again. If there is, we will put details here. Their CIC has been wound up. See our page here - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/weymouth--portland-pride.html |
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UK Pride dates 2023 ......
The LGBT Switchboard have published a very helpful list of many UK Prides on twitter. (posted here 04/05/2023)
Below we show their list for June, July & August. Info for rest of 2023 on their twitter. If you need more info, we are sure The LGBT Switchboard will be happy to assist you. Tel 0800 0119 100
See - twitter.com/switchboardLGBT LGBT Switchboard can help you in many other ways too - see - switchboard.lgbt/
The LGBT Switchboard have published a very helpful list of many UK Prides on twitter. (posted here 04/05/2023)
Below we show their list for June, July & August. Info for rest of 2023 on their twitter. If you need more info, we are sure The LGBT Switchboard will be happy to assist you. Tel 0800 0119 100
See - twitter.com/switchboardLGBT LGBT Switchboard can help you in many other ways too - see - switchboard.lgbt/
Pride UK Org have produced this poster below -
(posted here 24/02/2023)
More dates / venues are likely to be added with updated posters, so please check back with them for info.
(posted here 24/02/2023)
More dates / venues are likely to be added with updated posters, so please check back with them for info.
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Please make sure you check out all our other pages, lots of local lgbt events, local lgbt news, helplines and Prides in Dorset info!
This page was last updated 19/10/2023 Weymouth Gay Group 2023
email :- weymouthgaygroup@gmail.com Twitter https://twitter.com/WeymouthGayGrp and some where on facebook too!
LGBT helpline 0800 612 3010 *Confidential non-judgemental support* Run by The Intercom Trust (free from UK mobiles & landlines)
Please make sure you check out all our other pages, lots of local lgbt events, local lgbt news, helplines and Prides in Dorset info!
This page was last updated 19/10/2023 Weymouth Gay Group 2023
email :- weymouthgaygroup@gmail.com Twitter https://twitter.com/WeymouthGayGrp and some where on facebook too!
LGBT helpline 0800 612 3010 *Confidential non-judgemental support* Run by The Intercom Trust (free from UK mobiles & landlines)