Caithness community members hope that first ever Pride March in Thurso can spark a new chapter for LGBTQ+ people in the region
Members of the LGBTQ+ community in Caithness hope that the county’s first ever Pride March can kickstart a “new chapter” in the region.
Estimates put around 1000 people at the historic event in Thurso, much to the delight of organisers.
For some, it will have felt like a long time coming too. For years the closest Pride March was in Inverness, over 100 miles away, and prior to 2018 it was more than double that.
However, Sand Owsnett believes Caithness has always generally been welcoming, while hoping that such a strong show of support for Pride can kickstart a new era for the LGBTQ+ community in the far north.
They said: “I think it was amazing really. There were so many people there – families and kids, and people in great outfits with flags.

“Caithness has always been welcoming. I know in the past people have had some issues, but in general everyone just accepts you for who you are. Pride is then there for those who don’t have that, and those who want to be visible.
“I was speaking to someone about how there have always been LGBTQ+ people here, and there has always been allyship here as well – it just might not have been as visible for some.
“For individuals and smaller groups, that allyship has been there, but there has been nothing like Pride here before, so I guess this is a new chapter in terms of visibility and being more open about these things.
“There is always a worry that when you do something so visible like this on a larger scale than when you pack away the rainbows, everyone forgets about it and then you’re back to the feeling of isolation. I would hope that Pride raised visibility enough to encourage people to set up new groups, or go to the existing ones.
“Pride is nothing to be scared of, it’s something to be celebrated, and we are an inclusive community that has come together today.”
Former editor of LGBTQ+ magazine UnDividing Lines, retired bookshop owner and author Kevin Crowe moved to the north of Scotland in 1999 with his husband Simon Long.
He admitted he could never have imagined that Pride would come to Caithness, and certainly not on the scale it did.
Mr Crowe was invited to speak, and read passages from some of his short stories, at the official Pride after-party, where he reflected on the progress that has been made – and why it is important that Pride remains a protest.
“To think that an area like Caithness can have a Pride event that was so successful, it’s amazing,” the 74-year-old said.
“I didn’t expect that many people. I didn’t realise until the march ended just how many people were behind us, and it was amazing to see them all join in. I think it shows that, apart from the LGBTQ+ community itself, we’ve got so many allies.
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“When I was a teenager, it was still a crime for a man to be sexually active with another man. In those few decades, we have come so far.
“When I first realised I was gay, I never thought I would be able to get married, never mind reaching the stage we have today. It shows how much change can happen in a short space of time, and it’s really encouraging.
“It’s important not to forget what has happened in the past, but we should let people enjoy what they’ve got while remembering that we can take steps backwards as well as steps forward, as we’ve seen over the trans issue.
“We’ve got to be focused all the time on making sure that we don’t take any steps backwards, and keep the pressure up. That’s one of the reasons Pride is so important.
“For Caithness, it was a focal point. From this, I hope we can build something that’s much bigger and much wider to give the LGBTQ+ community a great future.”