Bourne Free
Bourne Free is an annual pride festival in Bournemouth, England, celebrating the diversities of all who live in the area.
| Bourne Free | |
|---|---|
 Official logo of the festival | |
| Frequency | annually |
| Location(s) | Bournemouth |
| Inaugurated | 2004 |
| Website | www |
History
Bourne Free was set up in 2004 when a far right organisation was due to come to Bournemouth and preach that homosexuality was wrong. Many prominent figures and active members of the gay communities in the area came together to organise an event in the Lower Gardens to protect the gay communities from the homophobes and keep them together for a day of celebration, rather than of hostility.
The event included entertainers performing at The Bandstand to support diversity, a balloon release with a 2-minute silence for victims of hate crime and Bournemouth's first Gay Pride march. By the end of the day those that had come together just a few weeks before the preachers came to Bournemouth, the Bourne Free Committee, felt that they could have done even more if they had more time.
It was decided that the committee would get back together and repeat the event every year, but as an official charity with designated roles. Bourne Free would become an annual celebration in the heart of Bournemouth for everyone to see the diversities in the community and to enjoy a variety of entertainment. In 2006, the title of the event was changed to the Bourne Free Pride Festival.
In 2008 the Pride Parade moved onto the streets of Bournemouth.
