Premium Content:

Pride Memories: Coming home

Western Australia’s LGBTIQ community organisation Pride WA is celebrating their 25th anniversary.

The ‘Silver City’ themed PrideFEST began last night and there’s a stack of event running over the next sixteen days. The highlight will be the Pride Parade through the streets of Northbridge in a week’s time.

- Advertisement -

We asked a bunch of people for their favourite Pride memory. This one is from GALSWA’s Stan Schirmer.

DSC_0541Web

My First Pride Parade was 2013. I was 50 and finally had the courage to come out as a gay man. I knew nobody really in the gay community. But I was part of the teachers union so I marched with them. I parked and started walking on my own to the muster point. As I walked I began seeing rainbow colours and people in costumes or holding flags and I started crying because for the first time in so many years I felt like I was coming home. I had finally found my tribe. I will never forget that feeling. I will be marching again this year. I am glad I am gay. Pride helps me celebrate that.

Have you got a favourite memory of the Pride Festival’s 25 year history? Share it with us at editor@outinperth.com 

OIP Staff

Latest

WA’s Australian of the Year nominees revealed

The 2026 Australian of the Year will be announced in Canberra in January.

A decade of dithering – Labor inaction over protecting teachers and students

A decade has passed since promised to update WA's Equal Opportunity Act.

The Last Mile: Positive Organisation WA (POWA) Ryan Oliver interview

Australia has set the goal of virtual elimination of new transmissions of HIV by 2030. We sat down with POWA Chair Ryan Oliver to get a better understanding of what that entails.

Are you ready to Movember?

Show your support for men's health this November.

Newsletter

Don't miss

WA’s Australian of the Year nominees revealed

The 2026 Australian of the Year will be announced in Canberra in January.

A decade of dithering – Labor inaction over protecting teachers and students

A decade has passed since promised to update WA's Equal Opportunity Act.

The Last Mile: Positive Organisation WA (POWA) Ryan Oliver interview

Australia has set the goal of virtual elimination of new transmissions of HIV by 2030. We sat down with POWA Chair Ryan Oliver to get a better understanding of what that entails.

Are you ready to Movember?

Show your support for men's health this November.

GRAI join exodus from Better Together Conrerence

Executive Officer Kedy Krystal will no longer be speaking about GRAI's Rainbow Housing Project at Better Together.

WA’s Australian of the Year nominees revealed

The 2026 Australian of the Year will be announced in Canberra in January.

A decade of dithering – Labor inaction over protecting teachers and students

A decade has passed since promised to update WA's Equal Opportunity Act.

The Last Mile: Positive Organisation WA (POWA) Ryan Oliver interview

Australia has set the goal of virtual elimination of new transmissions of HIV by 2030. We sat down with POWA Chair Ryan Oliver to get a better understanding of what that entails.