As part of Pride Month 2024, West Ham United are showing their solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community by working with supporter group Pride of Irons to ensure the Hammers have a strong and visible presence at Essex Pride and Pride in London during June.
Essex Pride takes place on Saturday 22 June in Chelmsford, where West Ham United will be one of the headline partners of the event.
The Hammers will be part of the city centre Pride March and be represented in a prominent location during the festival at Central Park in Chelmsford, where fans can come over and meet Pride of Irons.
Pride in London takes place the following weekend on Saturday 29 June, where the Hammers will showcase a specially commissioned bus that will be at the centre of the Pride in London Parade, as the Club look to join with everyone across the capital to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community.
The Parade will see around 500 groups and over 32,000 participants involved, with the Mayor of London leading the event. The Parade runs from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, down Haymarket and along Pall Mall to Trafalgar Square, culminating at Whitehall Place. Attendees are invited to watch from any of the designated public spaces along the route.
Irons fans are encouraged to look out for the specially commissioned bus that will carry West Ham United supporters and staff, Pride of Irons and the Club’s iconic mascots Hammerhead and Bubbles.
🏳️🌈 Happy #PrideMonth from everyone at Pride Of Irons! 🏳️⚧️
Celebrate and keep up the good fight. There's no place for hate of any kind.#Pride #PrideMonth #NoRoomForHate #KickItOut pic.twitter.com/XpXtbb1EbK— Pride Of Irons (@PrideOfIrons) June 1, 2024
West Ham United have supported a number of LGBTQI+ events across the season, most notably during the Premier League Rainbow Laces campaign where the Club launched ‘Hammers Pride Bar’ in east London. Created by the Club in close collaboration with Pride of Irons, it was a social space that encouraged people to hold positive conversations about what we can all do to support the LGBTQI+ community and help create environments where everyone feels welcome.
Earlier this year, former Hammer Thomas Hitzlsperger also spoke to Iron Cast about his career ups and downs, feeling at home with West Ham United and being the first player to come out as gay.
During the season, the Club also supported Hammers fan and broadcaster Rylan Clark when his documentary ‘Rylan: Homophobia, Football and Me’ aired in February 2024.
Pride Month 2024 takes place across June and is a vibrant and inclusive celebration that honours the LGBTQI+ community, their history, achievements and ongoing struggle for equality. This annual event serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance, diversity and love.
To find out more about Pride of Irons, click HERE.
Click HERE for more information about Essex Pride, and HERE for more on Pride in London.
