British Muslims are leading the first ever pride march in Birmingham today, in what is a first in the event’s 22-year-history.

Members of Birmingham’s Muslim community will walk alongside Andrew Moffat, the primary school teacher at the centre of a row over LGBT-inclusive relationship education.

The show of solidarity comes after anti-LGBT education protestors have staged a number of protests outside Parkfield Community and Anderton Park primary schools in Birmingham earlier this year.

Parents had expressed outrage at the teaching of LGBT equality as part of the national Equality Act.

Several parents have launched a campaign against the educational materials, claiming it is an affront to their religious beliefs, specifically targeting the ‘No Outsiders’ programme and its creator Andrew Moffat.

The official theme for Pride festivities this year is Love Out Loud, allowing all participating to display their representations of equality, visibility and universal love.

Saima Razzaq, from the diversity group Supporting Education of Equality and Diversity in Schools (SEEDS), which campaigns for LGBT inclusive education in schools is one of those leading the march.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘For me as a gay Muslim woman, visibility is incredibly important, it’s more important than ever before.

‘We need to show that we exist, young people suffering from mental health issues , they need to see us and know they are not alone.

‘I want to show that you can be who you are, you don’t need to leave your faith and family’.

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Ms Razzaq also said the march was ‘a message to the patriarchy’ and that men standing outside Birmingham’s schools telling people ‘women were created for their pleasure’ needed to be sent a message.

She added: ‘This is my first ever pride march and I’m so proud. This is what Birmingham is really about.’

‘I don’t want to see any more suicides within the South Asian community.

‘I don’t want anyone to grow up with shame.’