Tales of bravery and inclusiveness
Christchurch’s LGBTQI community wrapped up this year’s Pride events amidst tales of visibility, bravery and inclusiveness.
Yesterday marked the final day of Christchurch Pride celebrations for the year, after a family and dogfriendly walk in the afternoon and the ‘Homopalooza’ closing party hosted by Ending HIV on Saturday night.
Christchurch Pride community coordinator Akira Le Fevre said the 10-day series of events aimed to bring the city’s Pride community together and make it visible to the wider community.
‘‘There were people who had no idea there was a Christchurch Pride.’’
More than 1000 people attended the various events, which included activities like yoga, a quiz night, and an art show.
‘‘I know of some people that have just come out of the closet and have been attending almost every event, which is amazing.’’
Shirley Boys’ High School ran its own Pride Week this year, after a student came out to his peers during a school assembly.
‘‘Everyone was amazed at how brave they were . . . Those are the stories that make Pride worth it and show why it’s so important,’’ Le Fevre said.
Yesterday, Pride hosted a dedicated walk for LGBTQI-friendly fur babies.
Dogs were dressed in their best Rainbow attire and calls were made to make the family-focused event a regular initiative.
Le Fevre said Christchurch may not have an LGBTQI hub like Wellington or Auckland, but the city’s Pride community was strong.
Transgender support group TraNZaction spokeswoman Lynda Whitehead said events like Pride helped demonstrate the diverse nature and the normality of the community.
‘‘It says ‘hey look, we are here and we are proud of who we are’. Additionally for people in the trans community it gives us an opportunity to lift our profile and through interaction we can convey the nature of our issues.
‘‘Our days of invisibility are gone; Pride is an event that gives us a platform to demonstrate our existence.’’