Oxford Pride is a volunteer-led charity that celebrates and supports the LGBTQIA+ community across Oxfordshire.
Each year, we organise the Oxford Pride Festival and Oxford Pride Day to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community in Oxfordshire. The festival includes a series of events leading up to Pride Day, promoting visibility, inclusion, and awareness across the city. Oxford Pride Day itself is the main celebration, featuring the Oxford Pride Parade, which fills the streets of Oxford with colour and community spirit before an afternoon of live entertainment and festivities.
In keeping with Oxford’s queer history Oxford Pride celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual people and persons of other sexual orientations, gender identity or expression, and sex characteristics in Oxfordshire.
From its first Pride Day on 3 May 2003, it has continued to evolve adding a Parade and Festival throughout the years.
A long-time patron of this charity. Paul was a familiar face on the drag scene in London during the 80s and a vocal campaigner for LGBTQIA+ and animal rights until his death.
We are honoured to acknowledge the founding Members of Oxford Pride:
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I’ve lived in Oxfordshire for nearly 25 years. I am studying Primary Education at Oxford Brookes University. I am looking forward to helping shape Oxford Pride for the future.
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Jonny Barnes is the Secretary of Oxford Pride. In this role, Jonny is responsible for ensuring the charity is well governed and compliant with relevant regulations, as well as general charity administration.
Professionally, Jonny works in academic governance and quality enhancement, and has held similar roles across four universities in the South East of England. His interests focus on the digital student experience, particularly assessment and feedback practices, and how these can be developed to improve accessibility, equity, and student engagement.
He is motivated by a strong commitment to safeguarding the legacy of Oxford Pride – ensuring that the charity, the protest, and the celebration can continue to thrive sustainably, with a clear focus on remaining rooted in the local community.
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Matthew joined Oxford Pride as a Non-Exec Director in November 2023, having previously served on the committee in 2017-18. He lives in Oxford and has participated in Oxford Pride, as well as others around the country for several years.
Matthew brings over a decade of experience in information technology and user-centred design to the role, as well as experience in teaching and course development.
He is a qualified Scuba Diving instructor and has overseen the instruction of students and diving expeditions both in the UK and Internationally. He also held leadership roles in organisations that support local charities and non-profits.
Matthew hopes to support the committee to ensure the present and future success of Oxford Pride and its charitable objectives.
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Pete has settled in Oxford having previously lived in West Oxon area for 9 years in total with his spouse Tamsin, whilst posted to RAF Brize Norton. Parent to two (Grace and Will) now both adults. Pete participated in Oxford Pride as a volunteer in 2023, served as the accessibility officer alongside his wife Tamsin in 2024, as officer for volunteers in 2025 and now back to his previous role.
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Mary Helen moved to Oxford in 2019 and after emerging from their flat after lockdowns began to start living there fully. Having been born and raised in Oregon and gone to University in California, she originally came to England for a study abroad in Brighton and then an MA from Central Saint Martins, they have now invaded Oxford to set up permanent roots. She is currently at the beginning of her studies for a Ph.D. in Information Science, and in her spare time enjoys many forms of art, including life drawing, and painting, and is also an extremely voracious reader who enjoys boxing and weightlifting.
She lives with her partner Alex and cat Poppet.
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Hi, I’m Steffie, I’m a Nurse working at the JR and Churchill. I moved to Oxford in 2020, so have only been coming to Oxford Pride since 2022. I was a volunteer last year, and now I want to give back to the Oxford LGBTQ+ community that has made me so welcome. I’m the other Co-Parade Officer this year and look forward to helping deliver a fun, safe, inclusive, and memorable day for us all to enjoy!
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Hi, I’m Wendy, I’m a Nurse and work as a Clinical Operational Manager at the Oxford University Hospitals. In my spare time I go to the gym, I love reading, listening to all types of music (especially on vinyl), socialising with friends, and going to concerts and festivals. I have been to every Oxford Pride and having volunteered a couple of times I decided to join the committee to give back to the Oxford LGBTQ+ community that I have been an active part of for nearly 30 years. I’m excited to be Co-Parade Officer this year and am committed to delivering a parade that is safe, inclusive and fabulous!
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Nico is a web developer with several years of experience in the tech industry and is the website officer for Oxford Pride since 2022. In his spare time, Nico dedicates himself to supporting charities, non-profit organisations, community groups, and freelancers in establishing their online presence.
He actively advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, as part of the Oxford Pride committee, and promotes the representation of BME individuals as the lead developer for Black Artforms and Black Leaders in Healthcare.
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Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE is an English actor. His career spans six decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Ian has been open about his sexuality since 1988, and continues to champion LGBTQIA+ social movements worldwide.
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Lord Michael Cashman CBE is a British politician, LGBT rights activist and actor. He was a Labour Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency from 1999 until he stood down in 2014. He has since been appointed to the House of Lords. In September 2014, Cashman was appointed Labour’s special envoy on LGBTQIA+ issues worldwide. He resigned from the Labour Party in May 2019 in opposition to Brexit, and offered his support to the Liberal Democrats.
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Clare Summerskill is an independent academic researcher who has recently completed her PhD at Royal Holloway University of London in the Drama department. She is chair and co-founder of the UK’s Oral History Society LGBTQIA+ Special Interest Group. She is also a playwright, stand-up and singer-songwriter.
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Peter Tatchell is a British human rights campaigner, originally from Australia, best known for his work with LGBTQIA+ social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party’s parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey in 1981.
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Paul O’Grady MBE was a beloved British comedian, television presenter, actor, writer, radio host, producer, and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, with which he went mainstream in the 1990s.
