BIRMINGHAM’S annual Pride parade today will be led by the original founders of the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners group (LGSM).

LGSM, who gave valiant support during the year-long miners’ strike against pit closures of 1984-5, gained international prominence last year with the release of the film Pride.

The marchers will be joined by hundreds of trade unionists from across the Midlands.

The parade assembles in Victoria Square at 11am. At 2pm Birmingham LGBT centre will host a showing of the original film made by LGSM — All out! Dancing in Dulais.

Midlands TUC regional secretary Lee Barron called it “an honour” for hundreds of trade unionists from across the Midlands to join LGSM in leading the Birmingham Pride parade.

He said: “The support of LGSM in the miners’ strike is a moving story of solidarity. It is now 30 years since hundreds of miners joined the London Pride march.

“The miners who went on the London Pride march were reciprocating the solidarity LGBT people had shown throughout the 1984-5 miners’ strike.

The miners never forgot this solidarity and went on to support the campaigns for LGBT rights that have now been passed into law today.

“And this history is instructive, for we today need similar solidarity in order to give hope, belief and support to working people who are now facing hardship and difficulties, fighting for better pay, safer workplaces, decent jobs and greater equality.”