TAUNTON GAY GROUP EVENTS
COMING UP NEXT:
SAT 21/08/2021: TGG does Yeovil Pride! SAT 07/08/2021: TGG Picnic in the Park (Vivary Park) See other events for more info View the current Events Calendar here
View the current Other Events list here Our events include:
other local LGBT+ EVENTSTaunton Pride was held for the first time on 17th July 2021 and was an amazing day. Look out for an even bigger event and parade in 2022!
Visit the Taunton Pride Official Website Donate to the Taunton Pride fundraising campaign Follow the Taunton Pride Facebook Page Follow the Taunton Pride Twitter Feed Do you know of anything coming up in Taunton Deane area? Are you organising an LGBTQ+ related event? Please contact us and we can post on here and help people know about it. |
TGG NEWS
13 July 2021 - A personal message from TGGs founder...
Sadly Stephen can't now be at Taunton's first ever Pride on Sat 17th July (but fear not, the show will go on for TGG!). For more on why please see following blog post: tauntongaygroup.weebly.com/blogs/a-personal-message-re-taunton-pride-sat-17th-july-from-tgg-founder-stephen 8 July 2021 - Grants, rainbows and Pride! June has been a super busy month, with 3 bits of great news! First of all we are really grateful at TGG to have been awarded a small (but not to us) grant from Somerset Community Foundation to help us re-start our group post-covid. This funding is the first funding we have ever had and will be used for promotional materials to raise awareness at Taunton Pride, in local spaces and future events where we can have a presence, the primary aim being to reach more LGBTQ+ people who feel isolated, reach those who are not online and ensure as many people as possible know we are here as a way to make friends and build social support. Thank you so much to the foundation for their belief and encouragement, to GoCreate/Taunton Pride for their support in the process. This will make a huge difference and we are frantically getting things ready for PRIDE on the 17th July (more on this in a moment). The second amazing thing was the arrival of our wonderful rainbow pathway in Goodlands Gardens, which has been noticed worldwide and bringing happiness to many LGBTQ+ people, to kids and to our local businesses as a result of increased footfall to the town, yes, just to see this path. Again, all this is down to Jenny and Liz of GoCreate who are not just making Taunton Pride happen, but putting Taunton on the map as making positive change. Inevitably, the publicity also brought negative views - people are entitled to not like the aesthetics or the spend, there is no place for homophobia and transphobia but #LoveWinsInTaunton. Come and see it. Last but not least, the wonderful news that Taunton Live and Pride can go ahead on Sat 17th July. It's been a rollercoaster for the organisers to say the least, and the event has had to change to ticketed events across Goodlands Gardens and other local venues such as CICCIC, Mambo and Brewhouse. Sadly the parade and march was not allowed to go ahead but with so many Prides being cancelled we are thrilled it is happening in whatever form and will be a great day of awareness raising, entertainment and arts. We look forward to seeing people on our awareness stall and hope as many of you as possible can make it to the day's events. This is just a start of making Taunton a more accepting and inclusive place and a chance for LGBTQ+ people in the community and allies to really show it as great place to live and work, for everyone. x Stephen 21 May - Update re GWH meet-up Sat 22/5
Hi, just a quick update re our first meet-up of 2021 this Sat 22nd May... firstly the weather looks forecast to be dry tomorrow afternoon, so we plan to go ahead, and base ourselves in the garden outside the Lounge at Great Western Hotel 12-3pm. What I can't promise is how cold it will feel so suggest you come prepared! The reason we are meeting outside is that under current Covid rules you can have up to 30 people permitted as one group outside, which means we are able to 'mingle' if people want to (respecting people's space/wishes etc) and it is recommended to be outside if possible. The tables are quite spread out (see pic noting the wind has been blowing it about!) but on first come first served basis (and the hotel has its own guests to accommodate). If people want/need to be inside, or it suddenly rains etc, it is 6 maximum at a table and we can't just hop about between tables chatting as this doesn't meet the rules the venue has to comply with. Hope that makes sense, we managed like that at our last meet-up back in September and was lovely to all be in the same space at least. This really is a "let's give it a go", looking forward to seeing who comes along and hope you don't mind going with the flow, we need to respect anything the hotel asks us to do - but they are also really happy to see us back. Many thanks, Stephen. PS hope you still recognise me, I've ballooned! I will stick a rainbow flag somewhere near me so you know it's me x 02 May 2021 - We're coming back! The whole remit of TGG when we started the group just over 3 years ago, was to provide a ‘touch point’ to bringing LGBTQ+ people together in the area to socialise face to face, make new friends and have a laugh together. Online meetings have been essential to many of us since the pandemic began, but we definitely sensed some fatigue for this come Christmas, and certainly for me after long days on MS Teams in my day job, I’ve been craving to get away from the screen and the often negative tones of online life, so can’t wait for real interaction again. Our last proper meet up was Sep 2020, and I’m pleased to say after chatting with our friends at the Great Western Hotel that we’re ready to try and re-start again, commencing with Sat 22nd May 12-3pm, which will be outside in the Lounge garden. Can’t wait to get back together with TGG’ers past and hopefully some new faces too! After these when all being well restrictions will be lifted further, we’ll review what we do and seek a location for some evening and other events, and of course, focus on our plans for Taunton Pride on 17th July. |
