London 2012 blog

Diversity is one of many things that make London such a great world city. It’s also no surprise that it is therefore also one of the reasons that the London 2012 bid for the Games won way back in Singapore in 2005.

It counts in so many ways – every country that will send teams to London will have people already here that can speak their language and often have a satellite culture, which will help make athletes and visitors feel welcome. One strand of London’s diversity that is globally renowned is the strength and size of its gay community, so the London Organising Committee teamed up with the London Development Agency to take over a prime corner of Trafalgar Square for the annual Gay Pride event.

According to organisers, over 800,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people – plus parents, friends, supporters and a fair few surprised but game shoppers – took part in the celebrations, marching through London in their best Sunday wear and pitching up at Trafalgar Square where we spoke to hundreds of people about the Games and what it means to them. The Deputy Mayor on stage called for London to attract ‘World Pride’ in 2012, as that would be our Olympic year – a sentiment happily endorsed by us in London 2012. It seemed supported by the crowd too, if the popularity of our 2012 stickers was anything to go by.


And so another London pride was over. It has to be said that you don’t really know what diversity is until you’re busy sticking large neon-pink 2012 stickers onto thighs of men wearing nothing but black studded hotpants, a feather headdress and industrial amounts of body-glitter.