Bridgnorth Pride flags torn down and stolen

Bunting, posters and rainbow flags put up to celebrate Bridgnorth Pride, which was held on Saturday 14th June, were torn down and stolen by people who opposed the event taking, place organisers have revealed.

Photo credit - gingersnaps_photography25 on Instagram

Huw Rees, one of the organisers said that he does not wish to focus on the negativity but instead points to the importance of events like this taking place. About 250 people attended the Pride event last weekend including: West Mercia Police, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, the National Trust, Bridgnorth mayor David Cooper; the latter of whom recently had to defend the decision to fly a Pride flag from the pole near the town’s war memorial after a complaint was raised by one citizen.

Bridgnorth Pride event included a parade around Castle Walk and the grounds, followed by a performance by Shropshire Rock Choir and events in local venues celebrating Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community.

The events reportedly passed without any trouble or issues but Huw Rees said that items including bunting, posters and flags were removed or stolen in the lead up and the aftermath of the celebrations.

Huw explains that he plans to run the event again next year and "the negativity shows exactly why Pride events are needed in small rural towns like Bridgnorth.

"The rainbow flag was pulled down from the town council flagpole and stolen after just two days, while posters have been torn off windows and bunting has been ripped off railings, some binned and some stolen. This is on top of many hundreds of homophobic and transphobic comments on social media."

Huw added that he started the event two years ago after experiencing homophobic abuse himself in Bridgnorth.

He said: "Cities have LGBTQ+ venues year-round and access to them is easy. Shropshire has very few venues catering specifically to the LGBTQ+ community, if any at all, and the lack of public transport makes access to cities difficult.

"This isolates the local LGBTQ+ community from support, but by holding a Pride event here it gives them an opportunity to come together in solidarity."