Walsall Pride 2017 a riot of colour - with PICTURES
There was a sea of colour in Walsall over the weekend as hundreds of people came to celebrate the town's sixth annual Pride event.
Headlining the main stage in Gallery Square on Saturday were pop duo The Cheeky Girls.
Also in the line-up were X Factor favourites Lee Lambert and Samie Brookes, as well as a host of tribute acts.
Elsewhere in the square there were fairground rides and an array of stalls to keep the crowds entertained.
Organiser Zac Humpage, aged 40, said: "Our numbers have been building year on year and I think today at least 10,000 people will have passed through this area by the stage, even if they hadn't come for Pride.
"It is great to have a mixture of different communities here enjoying it - this is Pride at the end of the day and that is the main aim."
In addition to the showpiece event in Gallery Square, The Red Lion pub hosted a day of cabaret, and The Lion Bar And Club put on three nights of entertainment.
On Friday night, the town's Light Cinema put on a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Mr Humpage explained that there had been some initial reservations about holding a Pride event in Walsall but said it had become a popular annual occasion.
He added: "When we first put it to the council there was a bit of 'you want to do a Pride in Walsall? Is the town ready for that?'
"We had a lot of people who said 'Pride is OK in Birmingham and Manchester, but you can't do that in Walsall. You won't get away with it here.'
"We fought for it and it took about two years to actually get it the first time.
"It is now seen as one of the biggest events in the town centre. In the future we are looking to strengthen the entire weekend and make Walsall a destination venue."
Walsall Pride celebrates the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community in and around the borough.
It also aims to dispel myths, break down barriers, address homophobia and achieve community togetherness.
