Swindon-based BBC Radio Wiltshire will devote an entire day - Saturday, 8 August - to Pride.
Reveller Trevor Lear at a previous Pride - this year's is virtual because of covid
For 12 hours, starting at 6am, the station will broadcast a series of special features to mark the festival and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Listeners are promised special guest features, music and more.
The day will feature conversations about Pride and its continued importance, together with guest speakers including people involved with this year’s Salisbury Pride and the sponsors of Swindon and Wiltshire Pride.
Phoenix Stewart, community engagement manager for Swindon and Wiltshire Pride, said: “Pride is about celebrating who you are, with like-minded people around you.
"It's an opportunity to be educated on just how diverse the LGBTQ+ community is, learning about the role you can play in supporting each other.
"Pride is also a chance to celebrate who you are, in an environment that is safe.
“It's important to bring Pride to different areas of the country that may be under-represented.
"LGBTQ+ people are in all parts of the world and we need them all to feel represented and be able to celebrate who they are in an inclusive way.”
The day of Pride programmes will include a mix of audio diaries and live interviews covering subjects such as the lives of transgender individuals and their journeys.
LGBTQ+ sports clubs will discuss the inclusivity of sport and a psychologist, Janey Milligan, will talk about the nuances of mental health in the LGBTQ+ community.
Music from a variety of artists will be played throughout the day, including DJ Louise Dance, who said: “This is brilliant …. I’m stoked for it. Still pinching myself.”
BBC Radio Wiltshire editor Mary Sanders said: “We’re really excited about marking Pride on BBC Radio Wiltshire this Saturday.
"The Pride march is another big event which has been cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions, so it’s great to be able to share stories from Swindon and Wiltshire’s LGBTQ+ communities on air and on our social media.”
Listeners will be able to tune in on FM, DAB and via the BBC Sounds app.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article