You did good. But sad to hear the Police were rough with you. What happened?

Manchester Pride is kept afloat on secrecy, spin and misleading press releases. A quick search through the Newsbank archive (available online to anyone who has a Manchester Libraries card) reveals the inconsistency and hype over the years, going way back. Presumably this comes in the form of press releases from the organisers which are then regurgitated without question by the Manchester Evening News.

From an 'estimated' 350,000 watching the parade one year, to 200,000 another year and 50,000 another year. Ticket sales are 'up 50%' in 2005 yet the amount for good causes that year is the lowest since 2002 (and most of the money for good causes comes from ticket sales). No one asks 'how is that possible?'. Are costs up or is the 50% increase a lie? Elsewhere, there are press releases and articles with figures that suggest about 35,000 tickets have been sold every year.

Hype from PR companies is published in newspapers saying that 250,000 people are expected. But then you see that 50,000 went to the parade and 36,000 bought tickets.

Of the course the latest Pride is always the 'best ever'.

Without accurate figures for ticket sales, it is hard to know what has happening. My gut feeling is that people are deserting the event and that is the real reason for the £15 tickets a month before the start this year.

The more we question this spin and show it up as false when it is published, the better the chance that Pride will eventually revert to being more of an event for the community. People are very angry this year over the £50 + VAT fee for HIV groups and single individuals.

The current set-up can also be targeted on health grounds: binge drinking and the unsafe sex that tends to happen due to alcohol. If a dozen people end up HIV+ because of this event, and need a lifetime of anti-virals, it makes a mockery of £130,000 raised for 'good causes'.

unfortunately, manchester pride is centred around clubs and bars which is not very inclusive! ALL money SHOULD really go to HIV patients or preventions of HIV or/and for other causes that the real community identifies rather than the business people of canal street.
Also it was disgraceful that charities and individuals had to pay to parade! Once again you had to pay to be able to express your pride and take part it what was ment to be for our community.

well done for going right in the middle of it all. it was very brave of you and funny at points (especially the girl with the drum jumping infront of the "volunteers"). You really made a few heads turn!