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Gay Pride News: Despite heavy rain, thousands turned out for the twentieth Manchester Pride Parade on Saturday 28 August.
By: Nigel Robinson
Manchester Pride: "just fantastic"
Manchester Pride: "just fantastic"
Corrie stars head Manchester Pride
For the first time top soap Coronation Street had its own float at the head of the parade.
Amongst the stars on the float were Beverley Callard (Liz McDonald), Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), and Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson who play lesbian lovers Sophie Webster and Sian Powers.
They were accompanied by a group of drag queens dressed as Coronation Street legend Hilda Ogden, complete with mop and pinny.
Anthony Cotton who plays gay character Sean Tully in the series, and who organised the float said:
“We decided it would be great for Corrie to be involved because it’s [Manchester Pride’s] twentieth year and our fiftieth anniversary.
“I thought it would be good to do a Coronation Street float – we are the Queens of the Rovers.”
Manchester Pride’s Grand Marshal, Sir Ian McKellen - who has also appeared in the soap as novelist Mel Hutchright - led the parade through the streets, which ended at the city’s gay village in and around Canal Street.
Organiser Jackie Crozier told the BBC: “We’re absolutely delighted with the amount of people who have turned out and also the people who have put so much effort into their parade entries – it’s just fantastic.”
