Would you take children to Pride in London?

[ThoughtsAndQuestions]

I'm asking for opinions about the appropriateness of children attending Pride in London (including the family section).

I appreciate that some may find the question offensive, for which apologies, but I'm genuinely looking for guidance.

My partner is really keen to go and take our relatively young children but my concerns are a) exposure to trans ideology (and drag queens, frankly, which I just find offensive) and b) nudity of adults and kink flaunting which seems to have become more and more prevalent.

Every instinct is screaming at me to steer well clear (which is a crying shame as if it were just a family-friendly celebration of LGB people, I think it would be great) but my partner is very upset with me for not wanting our children to go and I don't want to fall out unnecessarily. But safeguarding our children is too important to just go along for an easy life.

All opinions and experiences welcome - I'm genuinely torn about whether I'm over-reacting or whether I would actually be essentially negligent to take my children along these days.

I agree with your concerns. I’m all for it I’m not against any of it but I personally don’t agree with young children going along with it at these marches. They should be learning about it through a safe sensible means, seeing plenty of other same sex parents in their own communities and if they want to ask questions they can ask away and get the facts. I feel these events have gotten way out of hand and I’m sorry but allowing children to witness all of that is abuse and cruelty. I see how people think it’s helping and shaping their young minds to understand the world but that’s no different to paedo’s except it’s all dressed up to be ‘ok’ because same sex is allowed!! Yes it is allowed you crack on but not at the expense of confusing young children, probably scaring the crap out of them and causing big time harm.

i grew up across the road form a lesbian couple, they had 2 children each from previous marriages, obviously realised that didn’t like men, found each other and brought their 4 kids up together. I never once thought oh that’s wrong or weird, I was a young child, I saw it and it don’t bother me in the least because it wasn’t made a big deal. I asked my parents why has such and such got two mums? My parents said they still have their daddy’s but the mummies fell in love and now they live together and look after the children together but still work with their daddies as a team and look after the children all as a bug team. That was it. Simple as that, no big deal no big marches, I was always around their house they were fab! The kids were great happy stable just normal because it wasn’t ever made to feel like it was wrong or not normal that only
comes from adults that have a problem with it and pass it down to the next generation.

so no I agree with your views and actually there are a lot of gay men out there that are trying to shut this sort of thing down (the really bad naked sexual stuff) because they are saying it’s painting a terrible picture of same sex couples and its border line going down the child abuse road and I completely agree with them. When is it ever ok for young kids to see a load of naked adults? We’re constantly fighting for their innocence and yet here we are pervading it in front of their eyes with us adults and saying it’s ok? It’s really not.

kids are young but not stupid, I honestly feel if you stick young kids in front of all this unnecessary stuff which is for adults only it’s going to cause more harm than good.

that my bit 🤣

Last time I went i saw people in gimp suits and leather chaps. I dont think its chikd appropriate.

Some aspects of my local pride are ok, but it doesn't sound like its for you. Based on drag queen comments. I take the kids on the second day local to me as its a quieter and less kinky affair.

Many women find drag queens offensive, as offensive as blackface in fact. If you’re ok with children being exposed to a whole plethora of sexualised entertainment and behaviours that speaks volumes about you.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5143082-founder-of-surrey-pride-charged-with-child-sex-abuse?page=5

‘Less kinky’? Does that mean that there is kink but you think it’s ok to expose your children to it?

Gender ideology is very much an ‘ideology’.

I’m in the LGB category and wouldn’t take my kids. My kids are not props to create a crowd to validate Jeff’s exhibitionism.
And surely anyone ethical who is genuinely into kinky stuff is still shit hot on consent (SSC and RACK both emphasise this) and implicitly understands that under 18s should be kept away from it so the kinksters can enjoy being themselves.
Anyone bleating “you’re not a true right good proper ally if you don’t bring your kids to see sexualised behaviour and attire” is either an idiot, a paedo, or both. And therefore should be swerved. They are not my ally.

No I wouldn't. Ive been to lots of gay prides in the past and had a great time but the last few years theyve become horrible and most of my gay friends no longer go. I live in the town where gay pride began.

Its morphed into an excuse for people to get vomit level drunk and shag in public. I dont want to see anyone doing that at 3pm on a Saturday (I would find it just as grim to see pissed straight people in fetish gear shagging too).

@Soontobe60 are you being deliberately obtuse? It's quite clear what I meant and I'm not arguing for the sake of it.

I had a very similar experience in Leeds a couple of years ago. V hostile environment if you don’t “join in”

We were coincidentally in the middle of pride last year when we went into London to see a theatre show. There was a lot of nudity and kink based clothing. Also, everyone was absolutely pissed and my kids were very pleased when we fought our way through the crowd and out

Thanks, everyone (including those with the minority opinion - I asked for all).

We have settled that we won't go. Partner not particularly happy with me but we haven't 'fallen out' exactly. I do feel like a weight has been lifted.

It's also a fair point that I shouldn't go if I'm potentially going to have a face on, but I also wouldn't have my children go without me, so that's that really.

Really appreciate everyone who replied. You helped me sort out my thoughts.

Absolutely not.

Over a decade ago, maybe. Now? Not in a million years. Fuck knows what they might be exposed to.

Pride has been absolutely decimated as a family event.

Ummm absolute BS.

I am a lesbian and stopped going to Manchester pride years ago because as a grown married woman the overt sexual tone of pride made me uncomfortable so God knows how kids would feel.

Also yes, I cancelled my TV licence and NEVER watch anything on the BBC because they are a bunch of paedo protectors.

No. From a practical point of view. We ended up in london on the day of the Pride festival by accident (!). Slap back in the middle. Totally unaware tourists!

Anyway, we had dd, about 10/11 with us. It was so packed and overwhelming that she was in tears. There there is all the boozing. (And she knows the inside of a pub!)

Not child friendly at all.

Many people find opinions offensive, you are accusing pp of being bigoted, imo with no basis, which is pretty offensive. I also see little difference between drag and blackface. Two groups who have been oppressed by a more powerful group, being imitated and mocked in an exaggerated way.

There are plenty of LGB allies who find trans ideology and drag queens offensive. Plenty of gay people do too.

I've only been to the London one so I found the Manchester one on youtube to see what it looks like.

You are right, absolute Sodom and Gomorrah!

https://youtube.com/shorts/NzWmqM4wiRc?is=yYIgdMPWoL4A4HJk

https://youtube.com/shorts/NX0dhsDMq8k?is=uCTF3eTPtdyLKkod

Here is a video of a child being exposed to this dangerous ideology
https://youtube.com/shorts/PYMXGVPiP2Y?is=8q1t6e7Sy-6t8bcO

I mean it's really horrific

Who do you think you are to tell any woman what should and shouldn’t offend her? @Kalanthe

I hate drag. I find it misogynistic and at times downright creepy. And it has nothing to do with being a lesbian or bisexual woman, so why would I want to ‘ceiebrate’ it all fucking day and night at a street party?!

And shouting ‘bigot’ to try to shut women down says to me you are no ally to WOMEN.

@Kalanthe . I think you mean you havent witnessed anything sexual or inappropriate. That doesnt mean those who say they have are lying.

I have never been to the London Pride but used to go to Cardiff Pride. I don't know anyone in the LGB community who still go. This year I saw a small part of the Pride parade and it included the Leather Men of somewhere and one guy had on a full gimp suit including face covering. A) he must have been boiling as it was a hot day, but b) I wouldn't have wanted to explain that to a child.

Bold of you to assume that men wear drag to mock women. They wear it because sometimes they enjoy wearing make up and high heels. Just like we do.

I doubt people in the 20th century wore blackface because they enjoyed having shoe polish on their faces