Clapham Common was to host Pride House There will be no Pride House at the upcoming London Olympic Games, reportedly due to a lack of funding. The Pride House initiative was founded in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, giving out athletes, coaches, staff, friends and supporters a place to gather during the games. Rather than just a venue as such, Pride House London was set to be an 18-day festival at Clapham Common, designed to promote the glbt community. It had the backing of ambassadors including Stephen Fry, David Furnish and Ben Cohen. However a statement on the Pride House Foundation website says: “Due to extenuating circumstances beyond our control, Pride House London on Clapham Common has been cancelled. “We thank everyone for their support and encouragement. Please stay tuned for more information on the launch of the Pride House Foundation.” An email linked to the Streatham Guardian by the event organisers has further revealed the combination of a lack of sponsorship and headline entertainment have made the proposed London event commercial unviable. “It was not without considerable effort that we tried to make this happen,” the executive director of Pride House, Chad Molleken, wrote. The London Olympics begin on 27 July with the opening ceremony.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 17th June 2012 - 1:47pm