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.

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

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 [email protected] 

OIP Staff