Lesbians and their friends will be taking to the streets for London’s first Dyke March in decades next year on March 31st; the last day of Women’s History Month
The event follows in the tradition of the Dyke Marches held in the US and will be the first that London has seen since the Lesbian Strength marches of the 1980s.
It will start in Soho Square and continue throughout central London and organisers say it is an opportunity for lesbians to celebrate their love for one another and for women.
Organiser, Emelia Holdaway told Gay Star News: ‘The idea came about because me and a friend got jealous of the pictures on the Dyke Marches in the US. It looked like great fun and we thought we should have one – especially because no one had organised anything similar for years. The response has been very positive and people and genuinely excited by the idea.’
The first march was in Washington in 1993 and after 20,000 people turned up there has been one every year since.
Holdaway added: ‘It is all about visibility. This is very different from Pride because it is a demo and a grassroots movement. There are no corporate sponsors and we want to include everyone – dykes, queers, bisexuals, transwomen, gender queers and allies. We are not policing gender and we welcome all folk who want to support dykes and march with us.’
The organisers are currently finalising the exact route of the stewarded event and are in talks with Westminster council and the Metropolitan police.