Sarah Brown will become the first Prime Minister’s wife to attend a gay pride march on Saturday.
Mrs Brown, who recently hosted a lunch for the prominent American gay rights activist David Mixner at Downing Street, will march at the start of the two week festival.
The Prime Minister will not attend the gay rights march for “security reasons” according to a Downing Street spokesman but will host a morning reception for the organisers.
The rally is co-ordinated by Pride London which hosts a fortnight long festival including art, theatre, debate, and entertainment in the capital.
Organisers recently courted controversy by saying they would use the festival to press the National Blood Service to accept blood from men who have engaged in medically risky sex.
Tony Grew, of the pinknews website said of the march: “We’re delighted that Sarah’s taking part. She’s always been a very strong and vocal supporter for gay rights so the fact she’s taking part is very significant.”
Sarah Brown will be marching as an individual rather than with the Labour group.
In June, the Conservative party added a ‘gay pride’ social event to its October conference. The event is advertised with a multicoloured Conservative tree logo and billed as an event to “party the night away”.
In May it was revealed that the Conservatives would make gay rights one of its top five priorities in the coming months.
The Tory move drew parallels with Tony Blair’s acceptance of Stonewall’s five policy objectives before the 1997 election. He promised that a Labour government “will do all that”.