BOLTON is to host its first gay pride festival this year — which, let's be honest, is a great step forward for the town and has surely been a long time coming.
The event promises to showcase the best of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)-friendly arts, music and community theatre, as well as a market day, club night and awards ceremony.
The three-day festival is being organised by the Bolton News columnist James Edgington — who is also one half of Britain's Got Talent duo Father and Son — and Warrington Pride manager Mark Geary.
Bolton is huge — 270,000 people and counting. We are a city in all but name so the fact that there is precious little on offer for the gay community in Bolton is a sad indictment on the town.
As Mr Edgington himself said this week, it is high time Bolton had a celebration of its own.
Homophobic crimes doubled in Bolton last year — so I hope that Bolton Pride has a positive effect not only providing a great weekend of arts and culture but also maybe educating a few people at the same time.
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