TRUE PRIDE festival to launch in Manchester with fully queer‑curated line-up
By Riley Hart
A new Pride festival centring LGBTQ+ artists, voices and audiences is set to launch in Manchester this summer.
TRUE PRIDE, an exclusively queer-curated event spanning music, performance, film and community, will take place at Hidden on Saturday, 1 August, with tickets now on sale.
The inaugural festival will bring together a diverse programme running from late afternoon through to the early hours, featuring live music, DJs, comedy, talks, film screenings, wellness activities and performance across multiple spaces.
Organisers say TRUE PRIDE has been created in response to what they describe as the underrepresentation of queer artists in mainstream Pride programming. Founded by a team of LGBTQ+ curators - including musician Jamie Irrepressible alongside Manchester-based DJs Bollibubbles & Sandra D, Liam Walsh & Sally McFerran - the festival aims to place queer creativity firmly at the forefront.
The team behind the event said Pride should prioritise LGBTQ+ voices and experiences, adding that the festival seeks to reclaim space for artists to “speak for ourselves, create for ourselves, and refuse to be sidelined”.
Artists confirmed so far include Planningtorock, Jasmine.4.t, The Irrepressibles, The Hidden Cameras, DJ Bollibubbles, Leo Chadburn, DJ Sandra D, Kerry Leigh, Ollie Becker, Run Remedy, Alabaster Queen and Jamie Irrepressible performing a PA/DJ set.
The first Kent Pride Games to take place on Saturday 27th June
By Riley Hart
The first ever Kent Pride Games in partnership with Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford Saturday 27th June 12pm until 9pm.
7 Kent Prides including Sheppey, Herne Bay, Ramsgate, Maidstone, Broadstairs, Margate and Medway will be competing. They will also have drag queens, Anya Hole, Angela Banbury, Mercury Rizing, Audrey Tipstick and Betty Late Than Never performing. There will also be lots stalls, DJs, singers, bouncy castle etc
Dame Kelly Holmes who will be judging the games. You can buy your tickets https://thestourcentre.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/77018?catID=72322&navItem=1240012
Charges dropped against Budapest mayor over 2025 Pride march
By Riley Hart
Hungarian prosecutors have dropped charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony over his role in organising a Pride march last year.
The event took place in June 2025, despite warnings of potential legal repercussions by Hungary's then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government had passed a law banning public events involving the LGBTQ community.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Hungarian prosecutors cited a landmark ruling from the EU's top court as its reason for dropping the charges. There was no immediate response from Karacsony.
Budapest's annual pride march went ahead last year in spite of the ban, with organisers of the march saying at the time that a record 200,000 people took part. Speaking at the march, Karacsony said: "Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest."
Authorities charged him with organising the event in January. But in April, the European Court of Justice ruled that Hungary's anti-LGBTQ laws violate EU rules and infringe its values of equality and minority rights. The laws banned so-called promotion of homosexuality or gender change to under-18s, arguing it violated child protection laws.
The ruling came nine days after Hungarians voted to end Orbán's 16-year era of continuous rule. Péter Magyar was later sworn in as the country's new prime minister.
Porn star Drake Von arrested over alleged domestic incident with partner
By Riley Hart
Award-winning bisexual porn star Drake Von has been arrested in Las Vegas after allegedly attempting to strangle his partner during a domestic incident
According to TMZ, police arrested the 23-year-old OnlyFans content creator on Tuesday (2 June), charging him with a series of domestic battery offences. Alleged charges include: domestic battery by strangulation, coercion involving domestic violence, and misdemeanour domestic battery. The alleged incident reportedly took place at a million-dollar home in Las Vegas, where Von is based.
Von is publicly in a relationship with adult content creator Mark LAX, though the identity of the “partner” involved has not yet been released. TMZ claim the porn star is being held in a Vegas jail cell on a bond of $25,000 (£18,603), before Von can be released while awaiting trial.
His arrest comes after Von’s reality TV debut on OUTtv’s Ultimate Boys Trip alongside Joey Mills, Max Konnor, and other notable gay adult stars, released in late April 2026. In 2025, Von sparked controversy after he announced his “1,000 bottoms” challenge, revealing plans to have sex with 1,000 men in a single day.
As of the time of publishing, no footage has surfaced and no final date has been set beyond “this year”, but planning is well underway.
Russell T Davies’ Tip Toe hailed as ‘natural legacy’ of It’s A Sin
By Riley Hart
Russell T Davies has described his new Channel 4 drama Tip Toe as a “natural legacy” of his critically acclaimed series It’s A Sin, as leading HIV charities welcomed its up‑to‑date portrayal of life with the condition.
Davies’ 2021 hit It’s A Sin, set during the height of the AIDS crisis in 1980s London, became Channel 4’s most‑watched drama series and was widely credited with transforming public understanding of HIV in the UK. The series followed a group of young gay men and their friends, capturing the exuberance of the early 1980s before charting the devastating toll of the epidemic.
However, the story concluded in 1991, at a time when an HIV diagnosis was still widely seen as a death sentence, before effective treatments became available. Speaking about the connection between the two shows, Davies said Tip Toe continues that story into the present day.
“It’s an honour to portray Alan Cumming’s character, Leo Struthers, as a man living with HIV since 1994,” he said. “It feels like the natural legacy of It’s A Sin. There wasn’t the time in that show to tell the long‑term story - that medications were found which saved so many lives - so this feels like a right and proper continuation.” Davies, who is a patron of George House Trust and a long‑time supporter of Terrence Higgins Trust, said charities had encouraged him to reflect modern realities.
“I’ve often been asked by people in both organisations to show modern‑day characters who are HIV positive and living straightforward, happy lives,” he said. “It’s an honour to do so in Tip Toe.”
Boxing champion Lauren Price and partner wed in 'best day of our lives'
By Riley Hart
Olympic boxing champion Lauren Price said it was the "best day of our lives" as she married her long-term partner Carlie Jones at a ceremony in south Wales.
The couple tied the knot at Sant Ffraed House near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, on Saturday, surrounded by family and friends.
Price, 31, who won gold for Team GB at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and is the unified welterweight world champion, has been in a relationship with Jones since they met as teenagers. The wedding took place on the same day Price was named on the Independent's Pride List 2026, recognising influential LGBTQ+ figures from across the UK.
In an Instagram post, Price described it as "the best day of our lives". "It's hard to put into words how amazingly perfect our day was. We got to share our love story with our favourite people," she said. "To my wife I'm in awe of you. I could not be more proud to call you my wife."
Rebecca Chick, founder of Eva Ashley Bridal, which designed the pair's dresses, said it was a "privilege to play a small part in celebrating the love shared by Lauren and Carlie". "Both brides looked breathtaking in the gowns we chose together. I wish them every happiness as they begin this exciting new chapter together."
On Saturday she was also featured on the Independent's Pride List, which also includes comedian Alan Carr, rugby player Meg Jones and singer Lola Young.
Paul Mescal issues first public statement on trans rights ahead of London Trans+ Pride
By Riley Hart
Actor Paul Mescal has issued his first public statement on trans rights as London Trans+ Pride prepares to return to the capital this summer, with organisers warning that this year’s march comes at a critical moment.
London Trans+ Pride will take place on Saturday, 25 July 2026, marking its eighth year. The 2026 theme, “Our Future, Our Fight”, reflects what organisers say is a growing sense of urgency for the trans+ community to defend its rights.
Mescal, speaking out publicly on the issue for the first time, said: “I’m incredibly proud to stand in support of my trans friends and the wider trans community.” He added: “Given the political climate at the moment it feels more and more pressing that we make our voices heard. This is a moment for respect, safety and recognition. Trans rights are human rights.”
Mescal joins a wide-ranging group of high-profile figures backing this year’s march, including Mel B, Michaela Coel, Jameela Jamil, Jessie Ware, Munroe Bergdorf and Jeremy Corbyn.
Mel B described the event as a vital moment to stand visibly with the community. “London Trans+ Pride is a moment to show up loud and proud - because every single person deserves to live freely and be exactly who they are,” she said.
Last year’s event drew more than 100,000 people, making it the largest trans pride event in history. Organisers believe turnout could rival - or exceed - that figure in 2026.
Carlos Gu presents East & Southeast Asian Pride UK in London
By Riley Hart
Strictly Come Dancing star Carlos Gu has announced the launch of East & Southeast Asian Pride UK, the first celebration of its kind in Britain dedicated to LGBTQ+ East and Southeast Asian communities.
The new event will take place in London on 24 July 2026 and aims to spotlight representation, culture and inclusion through performances, talks and community activities.
Gu, who rose to fame as a professional dancer on the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing, said the event was created to provide “a joyful and visible space” for people from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds within the LGBTQ+ community.
Organisers say the celebration will bring together artists, activists and performers from across the UK and beyond, marking a major milestone for visibility and cultural pride in London’s diverse LGBTQ+ scene.
Taking place at Electrowerkz, London, from 7pm to 3am, the evening will combine performance, community space and nightlife.
Gu explained the personal meaning behind launching the event: “Moving to the UK was the first time I felt like I could be my true self,” he said in a news release. “The British public have accepted me for who I am and have been so supportive. Creating East and Southeast Asian Pride is my way of giving something back to this country that has given me so much,” said Gu.