‘Most rainbow-friendly region’ hopes for Pride Week
When Pride Week strides out in Taranaki next month, organisers hope it will bring the rainbow community together and foster friendliness on a national scale.
“We would like Taranaki to be the most rainbow-friendly region in New Zealand,” says Emma O’rourke, one of Pride Taranaki’s seven board members.
This is the first time Pride Taranaki has organised the week-long celebration, packing in 20 activities.
These included a launch at Snug Lounge in New Plymouth where New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom spoke.
“My hope for Pride Week is, No 1, to bring our community together to celebrate with our allies,” O’rourke said.
She also wants the week to raise awareness of issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people. “My contribution to Pride Week is being present and supporting the Pride team, and helping with the social media coverage.”
Chris Herlihy, another of the board members, said he wanted to connect the rainbow community in Taranaki and work to make sure it was visible.
“It’s about constantly networking to bring different groups of people together so they can grow the community and find space … We are claiming our space.”
He said transphobia and homophobia had increased when British anti-transgender rights activist Kellie-jay Keen-minshull, also known as Posie Parker, visited New Zealand in March 2023.
“It was further exacerbated by comments during the election campaign.”
There were pockets of rainbow folk every
where, he said, and Pride Week was all about acceptance and celebrating differences. “We promote that everyone can be who they want to be – their authentic self.”
The events are being supported by businesses and organisations including Centre City, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, Taranaki Cathedral, Nice Hotel, the New Plymouth District Council (Govett Brewster and Puke Ariki), and Rainbow Youth.
“We really feel supported in the community ... This is a wonderful place,” Herlihy said.
He said the charitable trust’s biggest tool for communication was its Facebook page, which has about 1700 followers.
People can also visit pridetaranaki.co.nz to learn about Pride Week activities, which include a quiz night, a community breakfast, tenpin bowling, a Thank God for Pride church service, a clothes swap and more, plus three bigger events.
On April 9, two films – 2023’s All of Us Strangers, a British romantic fantasy, and Jewel’s Darl, a 27-minute-long New Zealand tale starring Georgina Beyer – will be showing at Everybody’s Theatre in Ōpunake.
At Puke Ariki on April 10, people can catch artist and writer Miriam Saphira in conversation.
On April 14, the Len Lye Cinema will screen Fiona Clark: Unafraid, which tells the story of how the Taranaki photographer overcame censorship, homophobia, sexism, and debilitating physical injuries to become one of the most respected social documentarians of Aotearoa. Clark, who is a Pride Taranaki board member, was named as one of nine 2023 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates.
Taranaki’s Pride Week begins on Monday, April 8, and runs until Sunday, April 14.