Arcadia Scotland
Gallus and Bonnie: Pride 2025 in Edinburgh and Glasgow
Gallus and bonnie are Scots words that encapsulate the queer community in Scotland for me. Gallus meaning bold, daring and a bit cheeky. It usually refers to a confident, mischievous person doing something they probably shouldn’t. Whilst bonnie means beautiful. The rights we enjoy today were won by gallus and bonnie individuals standing up and fighting. Yet the struggle for queer liberation has not ended, pride is a protest as well as a celebration.
Pride feels different this year for a number of reasons, sometimes it feels like everytime we open our phones or read the news there’s something new to overwhelm and demoralize us. A recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK has cast a pall of uncertainty and fear over our trans and gender con-conforming community and those who love them. This, along with a slew of concerning statements and bills aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community in the USA, means it’s more important now than ever to come together as a community and find some rest, joy and resistance among the chaos.
During your summer abroad in Scotland we hope that you can connect with some of the great Pride events and queer spaces across Edinburgh and Glasgow, whether that be as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or as a proud ally. I’ve listed some of them below for you to take a gander at.
Edinburgh Queer Spaces:
Whilst not technically a gay bar it’s been essentially claimed by the queer community in Edinburgh. Gender neutral bathrooms and student discount on the drinks and a vegan/vegetarian kitchen. Queer POC cabaret Saffron Cherry also runs most of its events here, as well as queer absurdist cabaret Fruit Salad. Give them a follow on instagram!
The Street, CC Blooms, Havana and Planet Bar
Located in Edinurgh’s Historic “Pink Triangle” these gay bars form the core of queer clubbing in the capital of Scotland. Featuring drag nights, DJs and pride parties.
Sober space in Edinburgh, this cafe has a cute little gift-shop, great vegan lunches, pastries and iced coffees. They also do events in their downstairs space.
Radical bookshop, queer run and featuring an excellent collection of queer books. Perfect for picking up a Pride month read.
Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive
On the theme of books, Lavender Menace Queer Book Archieve is the only one of its kind in Scotland. An incredible link to Scotland’s queer past, this community resource is open every Tuesday and Thursday 11-4PM and has social Sundays every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month 2-4PM. Pop by for a chat and look at the books and archive material, there’s also usually some books/merch on sale.
Edinburgh Pride Events:
Edinburgh Street Historians LGBTQ Free Walking Tour
Every Friday in June 6.00pm-7.30, The High Street Wellhead, EH1 1QX.
Pride History Tours, Mary King’s Close. Every Saturday in June, 4.00pm and 5.30pm.
The Real Mary King’s Close, 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, EH1 1PG.
Queer Film Night and Lighthouse Bookshop Pride Month: Before Stonewall.
Tuesday 10 June, 8.00pm-11.00pm, Edinburgh Student Housing Cooperative, 34 Wright’s Houses, EH10 4HR.
Fun fact! I used to live in the student housing coop. The basement of the student housing coop hosts great community events, and this film screening and bookstall for Pride month is just one of them.
Friday 13th June, 7.00pm-9.00pm, The Mash House, 37 Guthrie Street EH1 1JG.
Saturday 21 June, 12.30 for a 1.00pm start, Scottish Parliament, EH99 1SP. March from Scottish Parliament, through Canongate, High Street, George IV Bridge, Bristo Place, Lothian Street, Potterrow, Crichton Street, Charles street and finish at the Pride Edinburgh Festival Village in the EUSA complex.
The official Edinburgh Pride March, not planned with accessibility in mind unfortunately but the Equlaity Network and Scottish Trans are having a more accessible, static event in Holyrood Park near the march, 11am-12.45 with community space and speeches. Remember, Pride is a protest! Therefore it is often noisy and there’s lots of political signs, banners and diverse groups.
Glasgow Queer Spaces
Queer, art and radical books currently located in the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, which also hosts excellent modern art exhibitions and houses a great cafe and gift shop.
Scotland’s only designated queer book shop, they also host some great events. Give them a follow.
Speakeasy, The Waterloo Bar, Delmonica’s, The Gallery
Queer bars and clubs located mainly in Merchant city, the historical home of queer nightlife in Glasgow.
Glasgow Pride Events
Glasgow’s Rainbow Trail: The Hidden History of LGBTQ Life in Glasgow.
Saturday June 14th, George Square.
From dazzling drag queens to rebellious lesbian witches, join Caron for this 1.5-hour walking tour and dive deep into LGBTQ+ Glasgow stories.
Queer in math and queering math: in celebration of pride.
June 25th, International Centre for Mathematics.
Emily Riehl, mathematician, musician & Aussie Rules player shares her journey as a queer mathematician and the concept of identity in math.
All Mouth: A Queer Comedy Show.
Thursday 26th June, The Rum Shack, Glasgow.
An excellent line-up of all queer comedians at fun bar in Pollokshaws in Glasgow.
Glasgow Pride Parade, July 19th, Barrowlands, Glasgow.
Pride celebrations continue into July in Glasgow. Parade followed by festival with performances, food stalls and vendors at the iconic Barrowlands. Remember, Pride is a protest! Therefore it is often noisy and there’s lots of political signs, banners and diverse groups.
Even after June, these organisers and spaces often continue all year round so if you’re here until July or ever find yourself back in Scotland in the future, chances are these little corners of queer community will be here to welcome you again.
Stay proud, stay gallus and be bonnie if ye so choose.