Both Co-Presidents of Pride WA have resigned just three months after the organisation’s annual general meeting. Mark Hamer and Sarah Smith commenced their roles in March but are no longer on the committee; Marketing Officer Tayler Reid also resigned earlier this month.
Jason Chrisp and Wendy Houlahan have been announced as the new Co-Presidents. Houlahan is also currently the organisation’s Secretary. Speaking to OUTinPerth Jason Chrisp explained the departures,
‘Mark and Sarah for personal reason’s have left the committee, they’ve decided they’ve done all they can do for Pride in their current situations and have stepped down.’
Three new committee members have been appointed. Alice Newport-Holden is the organisation’s new media liaison and Brendon Egan and Brian Brown have also joined the committee. They will work alongside Paul Van Lieshout Hunt who retains the youth portfolio and serves as the Membership Officer, Dean Cahill, who looks after events, Treasurer Alison Groves, Community Liaison Sarah Holt-Foreman and Joel Murphy – who does not hold a specific portfolio.
Shortly after the AGM Pride WA announced to its members it would be entering a blackout period where the organisation would be reinventing itself and that a re-launch would occur within a few months.
In the intervening time the monthly Women’s Sundowner has been rebranded as Women by Candlelight and the association’s website was replaced with a black screen, an image of a candle and a single email address. Last week the old website was reinstated, the majority of the information is still from 2010, but details of the upcoming Quiz night have been added.
In a media statement today Pride WA announced that its theme for 2011 is ‘For Our Community’. Chrisp hopes that formal dates for the key events including the annual ball, fair day and the Northbridge parade can be made soon, but the organisation is still awaiting final confirmation from authorities.
‘Obviously with CHOGM this year we’ve been behind, there is a lot more things to be considered before you can book an event for that time of year and we’ve had to move things around.’ said Chrisp ‘But all those events will be going ahead and all dates will be announced at the Quiz night.’
Pride WA has also announced a new partnership with local community radio program All Things Queer on RTRFM. Each fortnight community members may quiz the organisation in a Q&A segment.
Graeme Watson
Declaration: Graeme Watson is a financial member of Pride WA and a finacial member of, and former Station Manager of Arts Radio Ltd (RTRFM).
