Go west
Image: Brisbane Pride 2014 (Photo: Brendan Burke; Star Observer)

IF the massive, nation-wide launch of Adelaide’s Feast Festival last month signalled a waning of east coast Australia’s dominance of the LGBTI social calendar, the upcoming Pridefest celebrations from Pride WA make it official.

While the Perth-based organisation has been in existence in one form or another since 1989, its 25th year will celebrate the origins of Pride WA and its place in Western Australia’s community, with the theme “Reflect, Rejoice, Renew”. Pridefest organisers have said the theme is an opportunity for everyone to look back at the progress made for LGBTI people over the past two and a half decades.

Given the festival has its origins in the fight for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Western Australia, this kind of reflection is appropriate.

“The foundations of Pride WA were laid in October 1989 with a 300-person strong group rallying on the steps of Parliament House, opposing laws discriminating against WA’s gay and lesbian population,” Pride WA co-president Michelle Rigg said.

“Pride’s formation as a recognised group occurred in July 1990 with the formation of the Pride Collective (WA) and the first Pride month as such took place in October 1990.”

Although great strides for equality have been made since then, organisers acknowledge the work left to do in Australia, particularly around issues like marriage equality and discrimination within the general community.

Pride WA has also drawn attention to the discrimination and persecution faced by LGBTI people around the world, for example in countries where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Hence, this year’s theme will bring together the need to look back on the origins of the state’s pride movement, celebrate the achievements for LGBTI equality and commit to continuing to fight for change.

The festival’s Pride Parade will be a centrepiece of Pridefest, and festival organisers have put out one final call for participants in the Saturday, November 22 event. Anyone interested has until October 31 to register.

The massive parade through Northbridge in Perth represents the festival’s grand finale, featuring performances, and the ever-popular prizes for participants who “creatively represent their group or message, in particular those who channel the 2014 theme”, according to Pride WA.

“Pride WA is reinstating the parade prize categories this year, which were missing from last year’s day-time parade, and we would be delighted to see as many groups as possible participate to add even more colour, vibrancy and diversity to this year’s parade,” Rigg said.

Of course, the 10 days of Pridefest are about much more than the parade: it’s also a week and a half of arts and cultural events running from November 14–23.

Pridefest isn’t the only pride festival to get Australia’s LGBTI community out of the east coast and visiting the rest of the country.

What is probably Australia’s most remote LGBTI pride event is set to take place in Alice Springs on October 25. The Pride Carnivale will celebrate in particular the area’s Indigenous brotherboy and sistergirl communities, as well as boasting an entertainment lineup of local and interstate talent, activities, and thought-provoking workshops and discussions. After the family-friendly events of the day, an after-party will feature more live entertainment, DJs and a space for performance art installations.

Pride Carnivale’s organisers hope the event will not only be fun, it will be an opportunity to challenge stereotypes and discrimination in the community.

“Pride Carnivale plays a key role in strengthening social cohesion and provides important community building opportunities that increase access to information, entertainment and positive social interaction,” organising committee member Lauren Mellor said.

“We hope to provide support to those who suffer from bullying or violence in their schools, workplaces, families and communities.”

Mellor hopes this year’s event will build on the success of the inaugural celebrations held last year, which were broadcast live across Australia, reaching thousands of isolated regional and remote communities. This year’s broadcast via CAAMA radio is expected to reach an audience of around 700,000 people.

Meanwhile over in the Canberra, residents of the national capital are preparing for SpringOUT, which includes the popular Fair Day on November 1, and a line-up of other cultural events that will be revealed next week.

Elsewhere, from October 24–26 CoastOut will take over Coffs Harbour on the north coast of NSW, showcasing the region’s natural beauty and ending, of course, with a dance party on the beach.

With cabaret icons like Bob Downe and Queenie van de Zandt gracing the marquee stage, it promises to be a weekend to remember.

Even further north, if you can wait until New Year’s, the LGBTI community will descend on Lismore for the Tropical Fruits festival from December 29–January 1.

Further south, for a complete change of pace the Victorian town of Shepparton will come alive for Out in the Open, a more youth-focused pride event that celebrates the spirit of a local community coming together to support LGBTI young people.

Pridefest

WHERE: Perth, WA

WHEN: November 14–23

INFO: www.pridewa.com.au

Feast Festival

WHERE: Adelaide, SA

WHEN: November 15–30

INFO: www.feast.org.au

SpringOUT

WHERE: Canberra, ACT

WHEN: November 9-24

INFO: www.springout.com.au

Pride Carnivale

WHERE: Alice Springs, NT

WHEN: October 25

INFO: www.alicepride.com

CoastOut

WHERE: Coffs Harbour, NSW

WHEN: October 24–26

INFO: coastout.com.au

Out in the Open

WHERE: Shepparton, Vic

WHEN: November 14–16

INFO: outintheopen.org.au

Tropical Fruits

WHERE: Lismore, NSW

WHEN: December 29–January 1

INFO: tropicalfruits.org.au

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