Oxford: Pride events to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week

Lesbian Visibility week runs from Monday, April 20 to Sunday, April 26 and this year’s theme is Health and Wellbeing.

Events run nationwide and queer people can find numerous events happening across Oxfordshire in the run up to Oxford Pride.

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One highlight is “Book at Lunchtime: A Queer Scrapbook,” taking place at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

Hosted by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), the session explores A Queer Scrapbook: Britain and Ireland since 1945, a collection documenting LGBTQ+ life through interviews, photographs and archival material.

The programme at The Jolly Farmers, one of the city’s well-known LGBTQ+ pubs, will host its “No Hangover Club” social on Wednesday.

The Jolly Farmers is also hosting two more events throughout the week including a Thursday night club night and a Queer boardgames event on Saturday afternoon.

Queer Life Drawing at the East Oxford Community Centre invites participants of all skill levels to draw in a supportive, body-positive environment.

T(ART) production will run the event through May and June and bosses emphasise the sessions celebrate a wide range of identities and experiences, with queer models and a focus on inclusivity.

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The company will also run Queer Yoga on May 7 which offers “a gentle, restorative class led by a queer instructor, designed to create a safe and affirming space for participants to reconnect with their bodies”.

The sessions highlight the importance of mental and physical health within LGBTQ+ communities.

Oxford Pride 2025 (Image: Ed Nix)

Meanwhile, grassroots initiatives such as T-TIME will reunite for a coffee social this Saturday as they continue to build informal networks, offering games, conversation and mutual support in a welcoming setting.

The group hosts monthly queer events at the Cosy Club in Oxford and is open to all queer and trans people.

These events form part of a broader build-up to Oxford Pride, and the city has become a hub for LGBTQ+ culture and activism.

Oxford Pride will take place on Saturday, June 6, with events happening across the city.

The first official Oxford Pride started in 2003, with the event held in Oxpen Meadows by the River Thames.

Now the event is members if the UK Pride Organisers Network, Interpride, and the Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action.

This year’s Pride is partnered with local businesses including The Jolly Farmers and Oxford Farmers, as well as Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.