Michael Gunning, who survived the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017, marched in Manchester Pride to honour the victims. Twenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when a suicide bomber detonated a device as concertgoers were leaving. Gunning, the first openly gay athlete to represent Jamaica, was at the concert but escaped unhurt. The trauma influenced his decision to come out. He described marching at Pride in Manchester as deeply significant and linked the city's culture of togetherness and support to his recovery and identity. A candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens on 25 August will remember those lost to HIV, organized with George House Trust.
"I've been waiting eight years for this moment. This will be my first time marching at Pride. To be doing it in Manchester, after everything that's happened here, feels deeply significant. It's about honouring those we lost but also showing how far I've come. "Manchester has always shown me love. From the tributes after the attack, to the anniversaries, to strangers reaching out, people here care."
Twenty-two people died and hundreds more were injured at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device as people were starting to leave the gig. Gunning, the first out gay athlete to represent Jamaica, was at the concert but escaped unhurt. The incident influenced his decision to come out, and on Saturday (23 August), he attended Manchester Pride in memory of all the victims of the bombing.
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