Inaugural Newcastle Pride festival to showcase local LGBTI community
The inaugural Newcastle Pride festival hits the city in two weekends’ time, marking a new showcase for the LGBTI community in the city and around the Hunter Valley.
The festival was announced earlier this year in response to .
Speaking to , organiser Anne McDougall realised the local LGBTI community was seeing a decline in venues and events at which to meet up and connect.
鈥淣ewcastle’s LGBTI community has not held any major events for several years.
鈥淧ride聽Festivals are now celebrated all over the world so why聽hasn鈥檛聽Newcastle ever celebrated?聽We are the second biggest city in NSW. We need to get our community back on the map.鈥�
“The Newcastle Pride Festivals aim is to showcase to locals and visitors that Newcastle is a city of diversity, culture and beauty,” the fesitval’s website reads.
“We plan to grow the Festival into a annual event and bring our 聽community together in unity and put Newcastle back on the event map.”
ACON will be present at the festival providing resources and information about LGBTI health to the local community.
“ACON is excited and proud to be a part of Newcastle Pride as it鈥檚 an important event that brings together regional LGBTI communities of Newcastle and the Hunter,鈥� said ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill.
鈥淒espite progress made over recent years in fostering a more inclusive society in Australia, many LGBTI Australians continue to be targets of prejudice and discrimination.
“Supporting Newcastle Pride provides organisers and the local community a great opportunity to demonstrate that the Hunter is welcoming and celebrates diversity and inclusion.
鈥淓vents like Newcastle Pride enables ACON to connect with local LGBTI people and people living with HIV in regional areas.聽
“As our communities are becoming more visible in regional Australia, partnering with local groups and services to promote HIV prevention, support and LGBTI health services is a key priority for us.”
Given the tight turnaround, there will be no parade this year, but the festival features a Fair Day, a short film program curated by Queer Screen and a huge dance party (both sold out), as well as the still-selling Priscilla Pride Wine Tour.
鈥淲e plan to hold a pride聽march next year. We wanted to give the community lots of notice so they have time to build floats and聽whip up fabulous聽costumes.
鈥淚 am really excited about this festival and to date 迟丑别听support and interest from the community has been聽overwhelming.
鈥淭his is just 迟丑别听beginning for聽Newcastle聽Pride,” McDougall said.
To buy tickets or view the festival’s program, .
