Firstly, we would like to sincerely apologise for the delay in responding. As a small team with limited resources, much of our time following the event has been spent packing down the Pride site and ensuring all post-event obligations were met.

We want to reassure everyone that we have taken all feedback — across social media, emails, and direct conversations — very seriously. Every concern raised has been read, discussed, and considered carefully. Hastings Pride is committed to continuous improvement and believes strongly in open and constructive dialogue.

Following disruptions at last year’s parade, as well as similar incidents at other UK Pride events, we introduced a set of parade participation guidelines this year. These included:

Based on these guidelines, the Queers for Palestine group was advised that they would not be able to participate under their banner this year. However, they were welcome to join the parade as individuals in support of the local LGBTQIA+ community.

On the day of the event, we were made aware of a planned protest, and additional resources were redirected to ensure the parade could continue safely and smoothly. Unfortunately, during this period, there was a misunderstanding regarding the entry of individuals displaying symbols or materials relating to Palestine. Some attendees were initially refused entry when wearing badges or carrying related material.

As soon as this was brought to the attention of the Hastings Pride operations team, the position was clarified: individuals are welcome to wear badges or distribute leaflets, but our aim was to ensure that the event remained focused on celebrating and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, rather than becoming centred on external political issues.

Hastings Pride condemns all violence, oppression, and loss of life in any region, including Gaza. We stand for peace, equality, democracy, and human rights for all people. We urge world leaders to work towards peaceful resolutions and to hold accountable those responsible for violations of international law.

Finally, Hastings Pride will be conducting a full post-event review to assess what happened and how we can improve our processes for next year’s event.

We would like to extend our sincere apologies to anyone who may have felt excluded or upset by any decisions made this year. Hastings Pride exists to bring people together and celebrate our vibrant local LGBTQIA+ community, and we look forward to continuing that mission in 2026.