Pride in Hull: Meet 'Pride Dad' who has helped turn Hull's LGBT+ celebration into a major event

Andy began life in Hessle, before moving to Hull. He’s a crucial part of the city’s LGBT+ community, mostly because of his involvement in the annual Pride in Hull event being staged today (Jul 29), which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the UK.

Andy has seen significant changes since the city celebrated its first Pride in 2002 – the same year he came out as bisexual, before more recently, as pansexual.

Hull’s first Pride took place in Queen’s Gardens, in the heart of the city centre, but was a much more stripped back affair than it is now, Andy reminisces.

“It was very small with some music. I joke that it was literally started by three lesbians and a dog.”

He officially got involved in Pride a year later and is now a trustee, as well as co- chair and creative director.

Over the years, Andy and his fellow volunteers dreamt up ways to make the event bigger and better, with a highlight seeing him launch Hull’s first parade in 2012.

“I remember us hauling this big flag to West Park. There were no road closures, just a loud speaker and a lad at the front with a drum.”

In 2017, Hull became City of Culture, a historic moment which, paired with an idea Andy had at a meeting the year before, cemented its place in Pride history.

“A few of us from different cities, including London, were starting to think about how we, as a Pride family, could do more to support each other. I suggested this idea of UK Pride and that, as we’re going to be City of Culture, we could be the first. It wasn’t about one city’s Pride being bigger or better than the others, it would just give that city more of a focus.”

Because of Andy’s quick thinking, Hull’s position as the first UK Pride host – alongside being City of Culture – saw considerably more people arrive in 2017. “Pride tourists,” he enthuses.

Putting the spotlight on local LGBT+ communities is a legacy that has since passed onto other places like Weston-super-Mare, which is this year’s UK Pride host, and Doncaster, which will be 2024’s.

It is a legacy that wouldn’t have been possible without consideration of what else Hull had to offer, beyond many people’s expectations.

As exciting as it was for the city to suddenly find itself under the spotlight, security had to be significantly ramped up in 2017, with police jumping to attention and offering something perhaps better suited to a Hollywood action film.

“A police officer said to me, ‘don’t worry, Andy, there are snipers on the roof”,” Andy recalls.

Over the years, “Pride Dad” found himself becoming a more visible part of Hull’s LGBT+ community, something he clearly is happy to do and is good at – wherever he goes in the city, people stop to say hi – but it can also be emotionally taxing.

Other obstacles that Andy and the team face are the unexpected demands of stars they were hoping to book.

“We were asked to arrange a helicopter for Mel C,” he says, still in disbelief. Unsurprisingly, the demands for the Spice Girl were not met.

It’s not just the work Andy has put in with Pride in Hull that has made the port city a force to be reckoned with – Hull is now the happy “parent” of nearby areas that have their own Prides.

The organisers of one – Goole Pride, now in its second year – say Andy’s work has been crucial in connecting more LGBT+ people.

“He’s made a massive difference in linking all the Prides together, creating necessary communication and support networks.”

Trans Hull, which puts on activities and events for the local community, has hosted many successful events such as a Queer Climbing Club.

Trans Hull’s Miller Nelson explains why Andy’s help has also been helpful for them. “He’s offered lots of advice along the way and provided platforms that were originally unavailable to us.”

Hull has long been tarnished with an unfair brush – in the 2003 book Crap Towns, it came in at number one.

Though 2017’s City of Culture year helped change that – Hull was named the third most improved city in the UK as a place to live and work in a 2018 report – it is still not thought of as being particularly safe for LGBT+ people, according to those aforementioned top 10 lists.

Perhaps any sceptics needs to visit Hull and see the work that is being done.

Maybe the lack of an LGBT “hotspot” like Manchester’s Canal Street or London’s Soho means there is less attention on the city’s community. Should Hull’s LGBT+ people be more vocal about their fight against oppression?

This can be difficult when the fight is down to a small but passionate number of people and groups, which also includes Hull Library service’s monthly LGBT+ Book Club.

After the death of Brianna Ghey in February, Andy helped Hull’s trans community organise an emotional vigil in the city centre, which also highlighted how much work there is still left to do all over the UK.

With crimes against the community increasing, Andy is firm in relaying what everyone must do to combat them. “People need to report hate and educate themselves on being a good ally.”

How long will “Pride Dad” continue in his fight for Hull’s LGBT+ community? Another two decades perhaps?

“A rest will eventually be nice but at the moment we’re full pelt!” For now, the grassroots work Hull is doing is clear, as is the potential it has to be one of the great LGBT+ UK cities. Watch this space.