Manchester Pride has been accused of racial discrimination with BAME LGBT people saying they were harassed by other pride-goers, it was reported on Wednesday (28).
Eight black and Asian people who identify as LGBT told the BBC they experienced racial prejudice in and around the Gay Village.
Sebastian (not his real name) said staff and security at Manchester Pride were constantly targeting BAME people.
He said: "At work I'm constantly around nightclub security. I know how security and bar staff work in clubs. I'm very patient with people and I can handle bad customer service, but that is not what happened at Manchester Pride.
"Staff were actively pulling black people aside, they were actively not serving us properly. The security staff went out of their way to make us really uncomfortable.
"It may be a side-effect from the bombing in Manchester, and this is now how they treat anyone who looks like what they picture as a terrorist, but you cannot label every single ethnic minority a terrorist."
Another BAME pride-goer said he was refused drinks because he looked "too straight."
"How can we as an LGBT community push for homophobes and transphobes to change their ways if we're still fighting with each other about something as basic as race?" he questioned.
Last year, Stonewall UK published a report that showed just over half of BAME LGBT people faced discrimination within the LGBT community.
Ruth Hunt, chief executive, Stonewall UK, said the research gave a worrying insight into just how serious a problem prejudice is within the community.
Hunt said: "Users of dating apps will be familiar with phrases like ‘No blacks, no Asians’ and ‘No chocolate, no curry, no rice, no spice’ becoming the modern-day versions of ‘No blacks, no dogs, no Gypsies’. Both online and in their daily lives, LGBT people of colour are excluded and face stereotyping from their white peers. This leaves BAME LGBT people feeling unwelcome within the wider community."
To solve this problem, the research recommended more diversity in decision-making structures and commissioning anti-discrimination training among other measures.
