Rushden Pride banner removed from prominent spot in town park
A banner advertising an event at the Welcome Inn celebrating Pride next month has been taken down, leaving the organisers ‘disheartened.’
The banner, installed on railings in Spencer Park, outside Asda was removed, with a replacement being paid for by local drag queen, Traya Buns, which will soon be reinstalled.
Sapphire Matthewman, organiser of the Pride event on on June 19, 20 and 21 said: “It was so disheartening to see it gone, after we put sponsorship money and effort into getting the banner just as we wanted it, for someone to maliciously take it down was soul destroying.
"Exactly why we need these pride events because homophobia is still happening now, exampled with our banner been taken.
“Rushden has pulled together once again after this, our drag queen Traya Buns, who is also part of our Rushden Pride committee, is paying for a new banner out of her own pocket and we have gained a new sponsor to show support from Aim High Festival who will be doing our lanyards for committee members and making Rushden pride flags too!
"The community really does pull together.”
The Welcome Inn in Irchester Road will celebrate Pride month in June for the second time in 2026 after an ‘incredible’ weekend in 2025.
The weekend promises live lip sync, karaoke, a drag show, as well as performances from Big About Singing Corby Community Choir, Queen classics from Mario Megaro, and local dance groups Born 2 Dance Northamptonshire.
The Pride event will be in aid of SERVE and Stonewall, the former a Rushden-based organisation which offers assistance to older people and adults with disabilities, and the latter the UK’s most prominent charity advocating for the continued rights of people in the LGBTQ+ community.