I attended my first London Trans+ Pride on Saturday. A friend I made at Queer Methodologies in Medical Humanities PhD school was in town, I went up to the event with others from Trans Pride Portsmouth and then joined my friend in the Accessible Bloc.
Over 100,000 people lined the streets of London marching from Langham Place, winding through Regent’s Street, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square, before concluding with speeches in Parliament Square. Not only was this protest amazing to take part in it was also very accessible. I could tell that accessibility was central to the planning of the march so I wanted to share the accessibility highlights here.
Leading up to the protest many visuals (with image descriptions and alt text) where shared on the LT+P social media. These visuals showed the meeting points, opportunities for quiet spaces along the march and a handy list of things to bring with you. The LT+P website uses dark mode (white text on a black background), and dyslexia friendly font. There is a note down the bottom which reads “If this website isn’t accessible to you or you’ve noticed an accessibility issue, please email our access team at access@londontranspride.org to let us know”. The website also houses a google document called Making Activism Accessible, which I appreciate.
I met my friend outside a cafe and we looked for the three disabled pride flags marking the Accessible Bloc. We gathered there with no questions asked, wearing our facemasks to keep ourselves and others safe (people who were exempt were welcome to join as they were). There were no questions asked about our disabilities or our “need” to be in the bloc.
The Accessible Bloc was at the start of the march and there was plenty of space for us to move around as we needed and wanted to. At several points during the march the leaders reminded the crowd that the Accessible Bloc was for mobility aid users and people who need more space. They also shared that the Accessible Bloc has been at the front of the march every year since London Trans+ Pride started in 2019 and that it will remain so. It was great to have the march go at our pace, not for us to get lost in the middle or be left behind at the end.
The Accessible Bloc had four amazing BSL interpreters to sign the speeches, announcements, information and chants for all the d/Deaf marchers. There’s nothing more gorgeous than someone shouting “trans rights are human rights” in BSL so that other signers could join in.
There were also volunteers with large hearing loop signs showing they could help people who use hearing devices. Another volunteer went around with a microphone and amp summarising announcements.
Half way through the march there was a 25 min break for people to sit, rest, get some food and drinks. There was a nearby wheelchair-accessible quiet space. I also saw one of the amazing volunteers lugging a wheelchair ramp on a sack truck and just had to take a photo!
[A bright yellow ramp being pulled along on a sack truck through the protest crowds]
The march ended at Parliament Square where there was a hydration station, a medic, and three accessible port-a-loos. There were many reminders that the port-a-loos were for disabled marchers only (with directions to the nearest public loos for everyone else). The pavement was left clear for mobility aid users and those who needed a better view of the stage, including the BSL interpreters who signed the speeches.
[A head-and-shoulders selfie of me in front of Big Ben wearing a rainbow rose headband and a tired expression]
The march was an amazing sign of solidariy, resistance and joy. The Accessible Bloc meant I could see and hear everything without being overwhelmed and had the space to move around. It was great to know there were quieter spaces if needed. There was great joy to be around so many queer and trans disabled people and I will definitely go again next year.