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Pride '07: Community Groups Have Big Plans

This month the community is abuzz as everyone gears up for Pride 07 ‘Imagine One Better World’. OUTinPerth checks in to see how everyone’s faring in the lead up to our biggest festival. For some it’s about Fairday, for other it’s about the Parade… come join us as we take a sneak peek at what’s being planned so far!

What’s in a Pride Festival?

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According to Pride Co-president Dean Cahill….

  • 8,000 – 10,000 participants
  • 12 months of planning
  • 3 months of weekends devoted to organisation leading up to Fairday
  • Weekly Pride committee meetings
  • 60 stalls – ¾ from Community Groups
  • Around 250 volunteers on the day – bar staff, set up people, odd jobs all day, clean up people
  • 40-50 Portaloos and two cleaners
  • A whole heap of security staff (up from 30 last year)

Pride Festival Hotting Up

Pride WA will once again give their members, the community and public, entertainment fun and a breath of fresh air from the end of September to the beginning of November with a variety of events. We’re currently right in the thick of it putting together a diverse programme of events with something to appeal to everyone. Here’s a taster of what to expect….

Most events will occur in the traditional October month, with theatre shows gracing the Blue Room and Rechabites Hall, the annual film festival will taking place at Cinema Paradiso and there may even be a few Saturday-type matinees in other venues…you may need to bring your bean bag for those!

And there may be a late night screening where one might hear ‘it’s just a step to the right’…

Using Bluetooth technology, blueBUZZ will get started at Fairday for the festival. It’s an exciting, independent new music and media thang so empty your phone ready to receive some design and flair. Art will grace the walls at the Blackbox space @ the ARTRAGE Bakery Complex and Archie Roach will be gracing the stage for Chocolate Martini on Thursday September 27 (also at the Bakery). Watch this space though – a surprise is in store for their October date.

Our community’s amazing musical talents will invade your ears with Nat Ripepi’s long awaited CD launch after her successful UK & Ireland tour, Homophonix will be setting fire to the stage with their ‘15 minutes of Flame – a New Music Cabaret’. The Gay and Lesbian Singers will be down in Fremantle at the Fly by Night Club.

If you want to know more, including details like what else, when, where and how much, you’ll just have to attend the Pride Launch on 20 September @ the Court Hotel to pick up your Pride Festival Guide!

Text: Nicole Corbett

Jim Morrison hopes for a lasting legacy from his time as Patron of Pride

Jim Morrison, who has just completed his term as Patron of Pride in WA is hoping that his work during that time will leave a legacy for the young people in the Queer community.

‘As a Noongar man, I took on the role of Patron of Pride in the hope that I could provide hope and encouragement for the many young people from the Aboriginal community in WA who are struggling with issues associated with their own sexuality’, Jim Morrison said recently when reflecting on his time as Pride Patron.

‘Everyone in the gay and lesbian community is aware of the high level of suicide and self harm amongst young people who are confronting the realities of being queer and the challenges that they have to face in their daily lives and their relationships with family, friends and work colleagues. Given the double discrimination of being black and queer, this is a very real issue in the Aboriginal community.’

Jim has instigated the inclusion of a ‘Welcome to Country’ at important Pride functions as a demonstration to the rest of the community that these should be incorporated in all important occasions. ‘The inclusion of a Welcome to Country by Traditional Owners at important events in the Queer community is critical for reconciliation’, according to Jim Morrison

The other important initiative during Jim’s term as Pride Patron, has been the establishment of the Queers for Reconciliation group. This group was formed by a group of people who also felt that it was important to leave a lasting legacy as a result of having a Queer Noongar man as Pride Patron and to avoid any suggestion that this would be seen as largely tokenistic. The group, which includes Giz Watson, June Lowe, Danae Gibson, Zoe Warwick, John Vidovich (who nominated Jim as Pride Patron) and Alan Carter, have organised cultural awareness workshops, sundowners and Noongaroke and dance parties.

‘These Queers for Reconciliation events will continue even though my term has finished and as an indication of that, we have both a cultural awareness workshop and a dance party happening during Pride Month this year.’

‘I was deeply moved by the large number of queers who attended the Sorry Day rally this year and I hope that the work of the Queers for Reconciliation mob will continue to inspire others in the queer community to take an active role in reconciliation so that we can provide some hope for the younger members of our community’, Jim Morrison concluded.

Text: Jim Morrison and Alan Carter, Q4R.

Gay and Lesbian Singers

GALS has welcomed a few guys into the choir this year and of course we still have all our lovely gals (more all the time). During Pride month we will be hosting a visit from the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus, who will be joining us for our Pride concert at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle, Saturday October 20, at 8pm.

Fair Day is high on the agenda. GALS stall will be there and the choir will perform as part of the day’s programme on stage. Some of the MGLC will be staying on after our joint concert to march and sing with us in the Pride Parade. We have heard a rumour that the Pride Committee has a few ideas about what we’ll be doing at the Parade but we aren’t too sure yet what they are.

Last year we managed to get together a float, which a few GALS folk would not get off once the Parade was over, so this year we’ve decided to keep our feet on the ground.

Tickets for GALS/MGLC concert, ‘Singing with Pride’ are available online at heatseeker.com or by ringing Robin on 0414 364 956. ($17.00)

Text: Joanna Hall, GALS

Freedom Centre

‘For Fairday we’re not entirely sure what we’re doing, but for the Parade we’ve sussed out what we’re doing for our float. With the theme of ‘One Better World’ we’re going for a bit of an environmental theme and we’re trying to make a carbon neutral float. It’s a bit of a mythological earth creature float. We’re trying to do a combined tree planting with True Colours, which is the rural and regional group. We’re actually going to be doing our float in collaboration with them this year, so it’s a bit of a combined youth float. So the tree planting activities are to offset all of the bad spray paint that we’ve done. Sorry, we can’t have a truck this year… it’s bad for the environment!’

Outgoing Freedom Centre Co-ordinator Nadine Toussant spoke to Zoe Carter

Club West

Club West weren’t handing out any scoops, organiser Terry Larder was tight lipped about Club West’s surprise float for this year’s parade, revealing only that it was ‘something a bit different, it approaches glamour in a different way…’ And for Fairday? Well the next Club West Ball is a ‘Best Of’ show, so, visit their stall at Fairday to collect a voting form and nominate your favourite show for a repeat performance on November 17th. Like Idol voting, just better!

Sapphic Trampers

Sunday 14 October Join the Sapphic Trampers for a bushwalk to Kitty’s Gorge. This leisurely walk will take us through some of the beautiful bush near Jarrahdale through rocky outcrops, gullies, waterfalls, Spring wildflowers and great views should also be on offer. We will complete a 10km walk, although there are also shorter options. Bring lunch, water, sun/rain protection. Jarrahdale is located about 50 km south of Perth via the South West Highway. Meet at 10am at Jarrahdale Cemetery car park. Atkins Street Jarrahdale. Time also to visit the historic town of Jarrahdale (www.jarrahdale.com/index.htm). No need to register, just turn up ready to walk at 10am. For more walk details contact: Maureen (9390 8650, 0414 854 948, danimaur16@aol.com) or Jude (9328 9952, 0422 654 244, J.Comfort@curtin.edu.au)

Text: Jude Comfort

Loton Park

Don’t miss the experience of the new look stall at Fair Day for Perth’s Premier Gay & Lesbian Tennis Club. Loton Park Tennis Club’s stall has lots to offer, have a go at Mini Tennis, Guess the number of balls in the bin and Win a Sports Pack worth approximately $500, check out the merchandise which ranges from hats, stubby holders & pyjama tops. With this focus this year being on memberships and social/fun activities find out details of what the club has to offer you from Tennis to socialising and enjoying a drink from the bar on the very popular balcony.

Pride Month Activities: Loton Park Tennis Club’s Annual Open Day – Saturday 6 October 1.00pm – 6.00pm, Drinks available from the bar and free Sausage Sizzle at 4.30pm. All levels catered for (beginners welcome). The focus is on having fun and enjoying the friendly atmosphere. Women’s Day at Loton Park Tennis Club – Sunday 21 October 1.00 – 5.00pm. Free Sausage Sizzle at 3.30pm. Cnr Bulwer & Lord Street Perth, Ph Michelle on 0418 942 231 or Gary on 0409 376 615, email: enquiries@lotonpark.com.au or go to www.lotonpark.com.au

Text: Michelle Rigg

The Greens

For many years now the Greens have been an energetic and strong presence at Pride – and we’re back again this year! The Greens will continue to present strong political messages with the colour and flare expected of the Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. We’ll also be at Pride Fairday if you’d like to drop by our stall for a chat or information. This year’s theme ‘Imagine one better world’ will be taken up with enthusiasm – The Greens imagine a better world, with equal rights for everyone … and are working to make it a reality.

Last year we had a hugely successful parade taking to the streets with the message of ‘Greens for Reconciliation’ and have continued since then to support ‘Queers for Reconciliation’ in the amazing work they have been doing in educating the LGBTI community on indigenous issues. Look out for our Green banners and we’ll see you at the Fair and on the streets!

Text: Claire Ozich

Wasamba

Wasamba began as a group of people that enjoyed samba music, the energy you get from performing and from the audience as well. Samba is a Brazilian form of percussion basically, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Carnival in Rio, but that’s Samba music that you’re looking at. We’re a community group so no-one gets paid for being part of it, we all pay our membership for our room hire and all of that.

We do lots of gigs. We haven’t done Fairday before, but we’re doing the parade and we’re at the Court afterwards. This Pride is a bit of a rehearsal for us we’re trying to get to Sydney for Mardi Gras for their 30th year and be a part of that. We’ve been to Sydney once before and we’d like to go back it was a really good experience.

This year’s Pride we’ve got all new costumes, more lights, and more noise. Each section has a different colour and we all have to perform to that one colour. Costumes are just as wild as we can get – bright colours, lights glitter sequins anything goes pretty much.

We’re always looking for new members. Anyone can play! Doesn’t matter what age you are, you don’t have to have any musical background or knowledge, to join – if you can count to four and you like to make noise then come and join.

More info: www.wasamba.com.au

GLCS

First of all for Fairday we’ll have a fairly strong presence as we did last year. We’ve got a couple of things planned to attract people to our stall. We’re involved in the Dog Show, so we’ll be selling tickets for that, the other thing we’ll be doing is our biggest loser competition which was very successful last year. That’s where we have four or five famous people who have shamed themselves with some shocking homophobic quotes. You can come and vote for who you think is the biggest loser, last year we got some six hundred entries. If you’re drawn out and you’ve correctly selected the person who is overall considered the biggest loser by all the entries you’ll win a prize. So that’s going to be fun and lots of people join in. we’re co-running the dog show with RSPCA and OUTinPerth so hopefully making that a bit more dynamic and interesting. At this stage we’re not running a forum, we’re cutting back and focussing on what we can manage…

This year for the Parade we’ll have another big float – it’s a bit of a secret but it involves a certain famous celebrity who’s name is the same as a capital city in Europe. It’s a skanky celebrity with a link with a gay theme… but you’ll have to work that out.

Mark Woodman spoke to Zoe Carter

WA Police and GALPEN

Hayden Green from GALPEN was excited that GALPEN and WA police would be running a stall at Fairday this year, particularly as currently WA police are trying to attract people from within the glbt community to come and work within police, be that as a police officer or police staff member. He told OUTinPerth that ‘What we’re doing is a joint venture between WA Police and Galpen which is the Gay and Lesbian Employees Network. It’s the first time that we’ve had official sanction to run a stall at fairday, and I think it shows the progressivness, if you like, of our Commissioner who’s willing to give different things a go. At our stall at fairday it’ll be mostly gay and lesbian police officers staffing the stall and we’d encourage people to come up and have a chat with us and explore the opportunities for employment.’

Bears Perth

What’s the buzz on what the Bears are getting up to for this years Pride festival you ask? Quite a lot would be my reply. Starting with Fairday on Sunday September 30th, and the larger stall we’ve already been promised…Our stall will have different items of Bears merchandise, including t-shirts, caps, stubby holders and so on. Then let’s not forget our ever popular giant teddy bear raffle. Our stall will also include information about the club, with a collection of previous newsletters, membership details and a photo gallery that will really display what the club is all about. So if you’ve ever wondered what Bears do to entertain themselves, be sure to check it out.

What events have the Bears got during Pride? Two days before Fairday, on Friday Sept 28th, we have our Grand Final Footy Fever Den Night. Then there’s our monthly Saturday Den Night on October 13th. Then on the 14th we have our Bears Perth Pride Party Sunday Social. Our final event during Pride, and one that is generally considered to be our biggest, is our Octobearfest Beer Bust Den Night. This is held the night before the Pride Parade and Party, on Friday October 26th. It’s a big weekend…..

As for a hint about what plans the Bears have for the parade this year? Dream on.  Enough to say ‘we have one and I think you’ll be beary surprised!’.

Text: Paul Hayter

Rainbow Labor

Rainbow Labor will be marching to the theme of Kevin07 in this year’s Pride festival. As the Federal election fast approaches, Rainbow Labor will be using the Pride Festival to remind the LGBTIQ community of the injustices and inequities that our community faces under John Howard and his Government. With a federal election due within months, Rainbow Labor will be using Fair Day and the Parade to encourage our community to vote for Louise Pratt as a Senator for Western Australia. Labor have recognised the contribution that Louise has made to our community and the State Parliament by electing her to the number 1 position on the Senate ticket for WA. While ruling out dressing up as lap dancers, Rainbow Labor President, Stephen Dawson, refused to rule out wearing sexy costumes or dressing up as Tin Tin, to encourage people to vote for Labor!

As for OUTinPerth?

Besides TWO issues of OUTinPerth in October, we will have a Giant Fairday stall – We’re teaming up with Qpages on Fairday – that means twice the fun! So come say hello. We’re also really excited to be running a fantastic OUTinPerth Emerging Photographer’s Competition, sponsored by Pride, The Court Hotel, Planet and Business Exposure. And as for the Parade? Well, we’re journos. We know all about keeping things confidential…

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