I haven’t been been out for quite some time, have been a bit busy at work and it’s nice to just chill and relax in the house, now that the builders have all left. But today I decided to pop out into town to shoot some film.
Classic indecision, meant that I was packed up like a Sherpa going up Mount Everest, carrying the Pentax 67, FujicaGS645s I’m the delightful Minolta X500.
Happenstance delivered today where I stumbled across a Transgender March. As I wasn’t too tired, I was quite active getting some street portraits, approaching folk. But the photo used at the top of this blog post. The person on the left. Thought I may have been a Daily Mail photographer.
FFS.
I did have a chuckle to myself and think: 1) I’m a 53-year-old dad of two, I think I need to modernise some of my wardrobe, 2) am I near the autumn of the street photography journey that I’m on? I don’t fancy much being pointed out as a right wing broadsheet tabloid photographer, as the hair turns a bit more grey?
But in all fairness, the person on the left of that first photograph was quite disturbed. They were photographed at a previous March (they didn’t tell me if it was London or Brighton) and they did indeed turn upon the Daily Mail website. I did offer to not take the photograph but the pair of them and I’m sure their mum were actually really sweet and they allowed me to take it. I think it’s a lovely photograph, which captures the loving bond between two siblings.
Brighton, a city long celebrated for its vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community, once again lived up to its reputation today, July 19, 2025, as thousands gathered for a powerful and deeply significant Transgender March. The air was thick with a mix of defiance, solidarity, and joy as trans individuals, their allies, friends, and family poured into the streets, demanding recognition, respect, and fundamental rights. I can’t help but feel really proud of the youth coming through a very politically attuned, whether it’s the transgender match today or the free Palestine collective I witnessed at the KneeCap Supporting act at Finsbury Park for Fontaines DC (check out my previous blog post).
The march, organised by Trans Pride Brighton, began at Victoria Gardens, a sea of trans flags, banners emblazoned with messages of hope and anger, and faces determined to be seen and heard. Speeches ignited the crowd before the procession moved towards the seafront, transforming the familiar Brighton lanes into a vivid river of protest and pride. It wasn't just a march; it was a visible manifestation of a community asserting its existence and demanding its rightful place in society.
This year's march felt particularly poignant given the ongoing national discourse around trans rights. Recent months have seen intensified debates, often fuelled by misinformation, and a tightening of policy that has caused significant concern within the trans community.
The echoes of the past also resonated strongly through today's march. Many participants and observers drew parallels to the infamous Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. For 15 years, until its repeal in England and Wales in 2003 (and Scotland in 2000), Section 28 prohibited local authorities from "intentionally promoting homosexuality" or "promoting the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship."3 While not directly about trans identities, the spirit of Section 28 fostered an atmosphere of fear, silence, and discrimination, particularly in schools. It told an entire generation that their identities were "pretended" or unacceptable. Today, as trans people face renewed challenges to their identities and access to healthcare, the fear of a return to such repressive attitudes is very real. The Brighton march was a powerful reminder that history must not repeat itself.
Brighton has long been a beacon for LGBTQ+ rights, and today's Transgender March reinforced that commitment. It was a loud, clear, and unyielding message to politicians and society at large: trans rights are human rights, and the fight for full liberation will continue, no matter the political climate. The energy on the streets of Brighton today was a powerful reminder of the strength found in unity and the unwavering demand for a future where all trans people can live authentically, with dignity, safety, and respect.
The LGBTQ+ Flags cast a little colour on what was mainly a very overcast day spoiling for a thunderstorm, which thankfully didn’t surface.
Black-and-white film isn’t the right choice of film to shoot a transgender March, I should’ve brought some colour film, but I think it’s a nice contrast.
Until next time, keep snapping (and marching).