Medway is to host its first Gay Pride festival this summer with a fancy dress parade and packed programme of entertainment for the family.

Plans for the extravaganza are to be unveiled at an exhibition, entitled Outing Prejudice, at Nucleus Arts in Chatham High Street from next Friday (February 28) to Wednesday, March 4.

Organiser Hilary Cooke spoke to Keilan Webster at KMTV

The event on Saturday, August 22, aims to attract not only the LGBTQ+ community, but anyone who wants to celebrate diversity across the Towns.

Local talent will be showcased at Rochester Castle where there will be a grand finale. There will also be a procession from Chatham to Rochester.

The annual worldwide fiesta celebrates diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, but everyone is invited to join the party.

The steering group behind Medway Pride 2020 includes representation from Medway Gender and Sexual Diversity Centre, METRO charity which supports equality and identity issues and Creatabot, which uses creativity to promote health and wellbeing.

Hilary Cooke, chief executive of the diversity centre, said: "We look forward to continuing the positive conversations we have had with Medway Council in regards to the organisation of the event and believe that it is vital that Medway is on the map as an LGBTQ+ friendly area for all those who live here and might consider living here."

Last year saw the largest number of Pride events throughout the world and, as a result, the idea of holding one in Medway grew.

In previous years, proposals have been scuppered because of a lack of funding from Medway Council which has said while it welcomed the idea, it did not have any cash to back it.

But organisers are determined that 2020 is the year that it will go ahead and are appealing for community groups and organisations to participate as well as individual sponsorship. Volunteers are also needed to help out on the day which runs from 1pm to 8pm.

Information on parade registration and how to get involved is yet to be released. To find out more visit medwaypride.co.uk

Similar festivals are already held in Margate, Canterbury, Folkestone, Dover, Tunbridge Wells, Faversham and Sheppey with Gravesend staging its inaugural event this summer.

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