[London NoBorders] Gay pride marches followed the Stonewall riots of 1969 and were a protest against the social invisibility of the LGBT community. In the London Pride march of 2010 most of the larger floats were paid for by businesses and governmental organisations proudly presenting their LGBT staff. The Home Office float, commandeered by Spectrum – the LGBT support group within the department – were going for a Moulin Rouge theme.
Civil servants in the Home Office, UK Border Agency, Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service, were shaking their booty to a blasting sound system. A bit further down the march a procession of a different kind with eight people dressed in black, their mouths taped shut, carrying coffins. Their front banner read 'Stop the deportations' and the coffins were a strong reminder that LGBT's in UK detention centres awaiting their deportation run the very real risk of torture and death once returned to their so-called 'country of origin.'
