Exploring the back streets at London Pride 2017
- Text by Dominique Sisley
- Photography by Theo McInnes
This weekend, Pride took over the streets of London. The annual march, now in its 45th year, has become an almost integral part of the LGBT experience – with thousands of revellers across the capital taking to the streets to celebrate their sexuality.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the creeping commercialisation of the parade has become harder to ignore. Now, the big brands at Pride are loud, prominent, and unavoidable: emblazoning themselves across double-decker buses (HSBC), cock-shaped rainbow flags (Nandos), and even hosting their own parade floats (Tesco). While this may not necessarily be a bad thing – it’s better to show support than not, after all – the mass corporate sponsorship has left many mourning over a loss of soul and authenticity at the parade.
Here, photographer Theo McInnes veers away from the crowds and corporations and into the side streets, in an attempt to find the real heart of the party.
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