Love In The Name Of Pride

Today was Maidstone's community led Big Day Out Festival celebrating the town's natural beauty and outdoor spaces -  an initiative by the local Borough Council and supported by a raft of volunteers.
We chose to attend the "Big Gay Out" in Brenchley Gardens organised by the local LGBTQ+ community celebrating Maidstone's Pride Month championing inclusivity and joy and aiming to connect communities while fostering a spirit of love and understanding.
The mission statement on the banner on the way into the gardens stated "Everyone is welcome here" and it really did feel that way with such a joyful and relaxed atmosphere with everybody enjoying themselves in such a wonderfully vibrant and colourful environment where you could just have a picnic, take in the surroundings whilst listening to the glorious singing provided by the drag queens at the bandstand (see my first extra), get up and dance or even indulge in a glitter tattoo.
My main image was taken just as we entered the gardens and I loved the fact that the event security personnel were just as colourfully attired as the performers - especially their radiantly rainbow striped top hats!
My last extra is of a little girl held aloft on her dad's shoulders with an iridescent pair of angel's wings.
We had a lovely time with the only cloud on the horizon being that the future of such events could sadly be called into question over funding concerns following Reform UK taking control of our local (Kent) County Council.