Perth’s month long PrideFEST will reach it’s crescendo on Saturday night with the annual parade through the streets of Northbridge.

After cancellations and relocations due to the Covid-19 pandemic the parade will return to it’s Northbridge home for the first time in three years, where it will also follow a new route. Aside from the parade there’s also mountains of parties to attend from Friday through to Sunday.

Exdragaganza

Exdragaganza at Coventry Pavilion is the place to be the Friday night before Pride Parade! A full night of fun with Drag Bingo, Drag shows, Exotic Dancers and After Party with DJ. Hosted by the fabulous Cougar Morrison and gorgeous Fay Rocious. it features, Meals on Heels, rounds of Drag Bingo, performances, Gogo boys, and DJ Dean Misdale spinning the tunes. Get tickets.

The Parade

The long line of around 100 different floats will see hundreds of people marching in the parade. Out the front of the parade will be a First Nations contingent, Indigenous Australians were the first people to walk this land and they’ll be the first to walk the parade route too. The action will kick off with a smoking ceremony designed to bless the parade route.

The Dykes on Bikes will be out the front tool, with their roaring engines and horn toots signalling the start of the event. The parade features a wide range of community organisations, local identities and corporate sponsors of the event.

One of the new editions for 2022 is a shout-out to the people of Ukraine, plus Gay Dads WA will also be marching in the parade for the first time, as is Perth Steamworks, who are teaming up with The Court and Connections in one giant float.

The vast majority of the floats will represent entertainers, community groups and local LGBTIQA+ focused businesses. They’ll be joined by several government departments, education bodies, and just a few corporate sponsors of the event, in recent years Pride WA have limited the participation of corporate bodies to primarily the businesses who are sponsors of the festival.

One thing you’re guaranteed to see is a lot of sporting clubs. Just a decade ago Perth only had a queer badminton group, and tennis club and a few walking get-togethers, but now there is an LGBTIQA+ specific club for many sports. Look out for the Rams, Wallabies, Hornets, Spectres, Emerald City, Western Swifts, Frontrunners, Pythons, White Pointers and more.

If you’re lining up to watch the parade there will be street entertainment from 6pm and the action kicks off at 7:30pm. The parade will take off from Russel Square, heading down Aberdeen Street, before turning into William Street, it’ll then turn at The Brass Monkey and head down James Street and past the newly named Pride Piazza.

The parade will complete its circle of Northbridge in Russell Square where spectators will have a chance to get up close to all the floats, before the massive official after party kicks off.

The Official Pride WA Party

The free family-friendly community party features DJ Timbee, Dean Misdale and the incredible Kween Kong from RuPaul Drag’s Race Down Under. Running through to midnight the party will also have lots of food trucks so you can grab a bite to eat.

Rave Relief and Decolonise Pride: Pride 2022

Homopolitan and Boorloo Justice have teamed up to combine their much-loved events. They encourage everyone to be inside The Rechabite by 8:30pm so you don;t miss the Welcome to Country address. Head to this party to catch Jxnior, Coyboy and the House of Reign, Pip Ah, Mother Marls, Yikes, Jamila, Nafta, DJ Rescue Dog, Wert Puddlss, HalalButch, Des, Vex Viper, Michael Kay, They, Booxkid, Priscilla, Anesu. The theme is Mycelium: Interconnected Transformation – so dress up!

Connections You Do You Pride Party

“No Matter Who You Are… You Do You!” is the theme for Connections Nightclub’s Pride celebrations. Kween Kong appearing at this party too, and you’ll also find performances from BarbieQ, Alexas Armstrong, Kandi, Blake Cassette, Sugar Du Joure, Veronica Jean Jones, Bebe Babow, Serenity Von Varda, Lotta Lamour, Delvira Midnight, Carmen Contouri, Miss Cara, Ella Nova, Liberty Genre, Kimmy Head, Kiara Klimax, Toots, Matthew Pope, Moesha, Ruby Jewelz and Sassie Cassie.

Plus DJs Mama Cass, Boston Le Rouge, Amanda Power, DJ LEASK, Jaydream and the much loved DJ Timbee will be filling the main room and the terrace with the best sounds.

The Court Hotel Street Party

The Court will be presenting one of their biggest Pride parties to date with James Street being closed off for the massive event.  Word is there’s only a handful of tickets remaining for this event.

Featuring a giant main stage, a silent disco, a chill zone and lots of other space, this party has an impressive line up of talent. Alfie Arcuri, Samantha Jade, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte will all be performing live, as well as DJs including Sex Shooters, Kayty Banks, 3Stripes,DJ Genga, Her Highness, Mishtee, Frankie Mac, DJ Mad Dundee, Grizzly, Domenic Furaro and Sir Chancealot.

Plus performances from Rhonda Civic, Skye Scraper, Demi Licious, Mary Lamb O’God, Jaxon Coke, Fay Rocious, Donna Kebab, Cougar Morrisson, Tootz, Haydn, Brandyn, Isaac and Jovi.

Steamworks Over the Rainbow

Steamworks late night Pride celebration will begin at 1am and will run through to 8am in the morning. They’ve got Hello Sailor, Leask and then Nathaniel bringing the beats and lots of other things are planned too.

Minx Pride Night Party

Toby Beard, Nat Ripepi, DJ Bronia and DJ Her Highness Lauren Simpson will be entertaining at the Minx Women’s party at the Civic Hotel. Doors open at 8:30pm.

Queer Social Club Pride Party

On Sunday afternoon the Victoria Park Community Centre will be throwing their Pride Party from 1.30pm through to 5.00pm. It’s a free event and they have lots of activities planned.

Wherever you choose to celebrate Pride – stay safe, take care of each other, command respect, and Happy Pride!

OIP Staff

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Author Cadance Bell is heading to PrideFEST this week, where she’ll be speaking about her autobiography The All Of It: A Bogan Rhapsody. 

The book documents Bell’s journey from being a millennial with a death wish, to the woman she is today. While it’s a great ‘coming-of-gender’ story, it’s also a beautifully written memoir that captures life in a regional Australian town.

OUTinPerth editor Graeme Watson spoke to Cadance Bell ahead of her trip to the west coast.

What what made you want to put pen to paper?

I could help people understand a particular viewpoint of the trans experience, I was definitely not trying to write THE trans novel. In fact, I see that in some of the reviews, a lot of trans people say, “It’s not representative of me.”

But you have to see the circumstances, I grew up in a tiny little town of Mudgee, in the 90s. I had an uncle who was a bank robber. I had ancestors who used to get into punch ups with the police, and they bought wine to the region, so I also have that legacy. I have all this masculinity running through my family, and here am I going on this wacky journey in the middle of it. I wanted to capture that essence and talk a little bit about rural Australia and transness.

I think it was one of the really important things is that has happened in the last two years is that there’s been lots of autobiographies from a trans experience, they just show diversity.

Exactly. There is space for all of them. The idea that one voice has to carry all is utterly ridiculous. I actually find it quite inspiring to hear of all that difference. There’s so many different ways to be these days, and I’m there for all of it.

How do you make a decision what do you include in sharing your story, it’s a decision everyone writing about their own life faces.  You share many awkward teenage moments, you haven’t held back. I think we’ve all had them, but we don’t talk about them.

I’ve had a few more than most, but I think at the end of the day, I wanted more than anything to show what gender dysphoria felt like.

I wasn’t writing a book to smash people over the head or to say, “This is what transness is, and this is what trans people are, and this is what trans people do.” I wasn’t actually interested so much in the transition part, I was interested in the gender dysphoria.

So a lot of the decisions that were made were to try to really put the reader in my shoes of that experience, but also to simultaneously position them within Australia at that time.

It was always my intention was marinate them in my family, and that and that sense of place, and then slowly introduce this noxious element to the story – which is exactly how gender dysphoria creeps up on you once you hit puberty.

Once you hit that point in the book, that starts to become then the focus of it, and then of course, something else happens later on. It changes again.

I think what’s really important is that we acknowledge, for most transgender people, their experience with gender dysphoria is over a long period of time. It’s not like it just happened last Tuesday and all sudden you’re trans and signing up for medical interventions – but that’s often how the trans experience has been presented by the opponents of transgender people.

It’s a fad! It’s a trend!

Or you catch it from somebody else, this is what they used to say about homosexuality.

I think trans people are where gay people were maybe 15-20 years ago. I think that’s where the progress is, but there is this incredible accelerant because of the internet as well. So, it’s a little bit hard to say whether or not trans progress will be as fast or slower than it was for other parts of the alphabet gang.

We’re in that phase where ‘shit is so obvious’. But people still want to lob grenades. We’ve already had scientists and doctors and world leaders – they’ve all accepted the science on this. This is not a bunch of kids running around just trying to be shitheads. This is an actual medical thing. This is something founded in biology.

And not just that, it also taps into the very essence of what makes humanity special. We choose our evolution, and this is what we are doing. We are saying we want to evolve without gender dysphoria, we want to become the people of our dreams.

It’s not something that we’re doing for fun, even though, my God – it can be an absolute blast sometimes. We’re doing it because we want to survive. The alternative, I don’t want to talk about the alternative. There’s been too much about that. And if those people forget that alternative, it’s because they are choosing to do so. In the meantime, we’re just going to continue to have a Hootenanny of a time.

Cadace Bell is appearing at the Perth City Library for PrideFEST on Thursday 24th November from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. She’ll be appearing alongside friend and fellow author Kaya Wilson.

You can also catch them at Wilson’s book event on Wednesday 23rd November.

OIP Staff

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Perth’s annual PrideFEST begins in November and Living Proud WA are inviting people to contribute to the festivals access plan.

In recent years ensuring that the festival has equitable access for everybody has been a big focus for Pride WA and this year they continue to explore new ways to improve the services and facilities.

LGBTIQ+ people with disability are invited to attend a face-to-face consultation and provide feedback on the PrideFEST Access Plan. Snacks and refreshments will be served, and each attendee will receive a $30 gift card for their participation.

The consultation is taking place at Lotteries House in West Perth on Sunday 2nd October from 11.00am – 1.00pm.

Places are limited, so it’s important to book your spot.

OIP Staff

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Michael Kirby will be the guest of honour at the Pride Shine Luncheon on Friday 4th November.

Billed as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to lunch with living treasure, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, retired judge, jurist, academic and champion of human rights.

Kirby was the first judge of any final national court in the world who was open about his homosexuality. As Australia’s longest serving judge at the time of his retirement, he also earned himself the nickname “the great dissenter”.

The event will feature Kirby speaking about the role of dissent in the protection of human and LGBTQIA+ rights, as well as what promises to be a scintillating panel discussion on the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in Australia.

Tickets are on sale now via Eventbrite. 

OIP Staff

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The City of Perth has entered a new partnership with Pride WA, following the group’s successful bid to occupy Northbridge Piazza.

The announcement comes as the City of Perth increases it’s funding to the annual festival, acknowledging it’s potential to attract international and interstate tourism and provide a positive financial growth to the city.

City of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said he looked forward to welcoming WA’s LGBTQIA+ community to their new headquarters. “The city’s Pride Piazza reaffirms Perth as a national leader for celebrating and championing diversity and inclusion – and I can’t think of a better, more vibrant neighborhood for Pride WA to call home.

“The Piazza is the heart and soul of Northbridge and we’re excited to see rainbow events and activities lighting up the Piazza throughout the year. This is wonderful opportunity for businesses, locals and visitors to enjoy more activations throughout the year” Zempilas said.

Pride WA said the space would create a home for Perth’s LGBTIQA+ community.

“Pride WA is thrilled to have the generous support of the City of Perth in making Pride Piazza a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ and wider Northbridge Community to meet in what we hope will become a globally-recognised LGBTQIA+ landmark,” said Choon Tan, Pride WA CEO.

“Having a ‘home’ for Perth’s queer community is a significant milestone as it means Pride WA and LGBTQIA+ groups and start-ups can access facilities and thrive together.”

In a social media post Pride WA expanded on what the new headquarters would mean for the local community, saying it would become the “queer epicentre of Perth”.

“The last time we gathered in great numbers at this location was to watch the announcement of the plebiscite on marriage equality which ended in an outpouring of love and solidarity. Pride Piazza hopes to be that place all year round.

City of Perth increases funding to parade and festival

The City of Perth council has also approved to grant $210,000  toward the annual PrideFEST event which will return to its traditional Northbridge home in November this year. The new grant is a funding increase of $80,000 from the previous year.

“We’re excited to see PrideFEST, the annual celebration of our rainbow community, back in Northbridge after a two-hiatus due to COVID,” Zempilas said

In March, the City invited Expressions of Interest from public and private operators to develop and deliver a program of events at the Northbridge Piazza Community Space.

As the successful respondent, Pride WA will be the primary tenant at Northbridge Piazza – using the facility for office space and an event and meeting hub for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The organisation will finalise its program of events following public consultation but will target the LGBTQIA+ community as well as inclusive activities for the whole community. For example it may include market days and films aired on the Piazza’s super screen.

Addressing the council meeting on Monday evening Pride CEO Choon Tan highlighted that the festival is now the second largest celebration of its kind in Australia following the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Choon highlighted that the City of Perth was increasingly asking the annual Pride Festival and Parade to meet world class standards and rising safety requirements, but only classed the festival as a minor event – which limited the city’s support to only 30% of it’s total funding.

Pride WA said they hoped to work with other organisation to put the Perth parade and festival on the global map, and had recently begun working with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and World Pride.

Speaking at the meeting, staff members from the city explained that the festival had not met the criteria of a major event because it did not attract people from interstate and overseas to visit WA, and while it had shown it had a positive financial benefit to the city of $5million, it was comparable to other major events like the Perth Festival or Fringe World.

Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas voiced his support for the increased funding, despite it not being recommended by the city’s administration.

“Pride is an event we believe in. Pride is an event that bring people into our city, and Pride is the sort of event that bring the colour, movement and motion in to our city that we all striving very keenly to achieve.” the Lord Mayor said voicing his support.

After an enthusiastic discussion the council members decided to approve the higher level of funding to the festival, with the motion being passed unanimously.

The festival will run from 4th – 27th Nov 2022 and will have the theme of ‘Shine’.

Graeme Watson

Image shows Andrew Hall (City of Perth LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee), Michelle Reynolds (Pride WA), David Goncalves (CoP LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee), Curtis Ward (Pride WA), Basil Zempilas (Lord Mayor), Choon Tan (Pride WA CEO), Callan Kneale (SVP Pride WA).

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Pride WA have announced that PrideFEST 2022 will run from 4th – 27th Nov 2022 and will have the theme of ‘Shine’.

“We’ve weathered a couple of challenging years and finally stepping out of the pandemic as a community – hence the theme of this year’s PrideFEST is SHINE.” the organisation said on Tuesday.

The popular Fairday event will be held of Sunday 13th November and will be in Hyde Park, the huge Bake-Off competition will also return and the Parade will be held on Saturday 26th November returning to its home on the streets of Northbridge.

Expressions of interest will soon open for Fairday stallholders and performers, and organisations wanting to hold events as part of the festival will soon be able to list their events in the official Pride calendar, and finally, Parade registration will also open in the coming weeks.

This year the organisation will be continuing its policy of limiting corporate participants in the parade to official sponsors only.

Updates will be posted to the Pride WA website.

Graeme Watson

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LGBTQIA+ support organisation Living Proud WA’s Queer & Accessible project are offering a free program of disability access and inclusion training for our communities.

Queer & Accessible representatives say the intention of the program is to upskill our community to be more accessible and welcoming for people with disability.

The program has been acquired from prominent disability training providers, covering topics including disability awareness, creating inclusive spaces and events, online accessibility, deafness awareness and inclusion in sport.

Training providers include the Youth Disability Advocacy Network (YDAN), DADAA WA, WA Disabled Sports Association, The Centre for Accessibility, and Access Plus (who also provided the Auslan interpreters during PrideFEST 2021).

Sessions starts in June and continue through to September, with the intention of encouraging LGBTIQ+ groups to consider accessibility when planning events for PrideFEST 2022.

While mainly aimed at community groups, all LGBTIQ+ community members are welcome to attend.

Engaging with Disability and Creating Inclusive Spaces – presented by YDAN – will be held on Thursday 9 June from 4pm. Check out this link for more information.

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Living Proud’s Queer & Accessible project are holding a new round of consultations, seeking community feedback on accessibility at last year’s PrideFEST celebrations.

The Queer & Accessible project was launched ahead of Pride WA’s PrideFEST 2021, aiming to work with LGBTQIA+ spaces and event-runners to provide practical assistance, financial support and advice, as well as promoting accessible events to LGBTQIA+ and disability communities.

This round of consultations will be looking back on PrideFEST 2021, asking what worked, what could have been done differently and what other measures can be enacted in the future.

Consultations will be held on Zoom, with live captioning and attendees will be offered a $30 voucher for their time.

The peer-led project is run by Project Officers Sarah Collins and Jack Meakins, who share lived experience of LGBTQIA+ identities and disability, as well as professional experience in both LGBTQIA+ and disability sectors.

As per the 2018 study – The Everyday Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex People with Disability – LGBTI+ folks with disability experience greater difficulty connecting with queer communities and with disability communities.

The study also found that these difficulties, as well as restrictions on expression of gender and sexuality, have consequences on LGBTI+ people with disability’s ability to form relationships and connect with community.

If you would like to participate, you can check out the online survey or register for Zoom sesions on Wed 27 April (6pm) and Sat 30 April (10am).

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There’s no shortage of celebrations marking the grand finale of PrideFEST this weekend, with a plethora of parties following this Saturday’s parade.

If you’re looking to continue the festivities throughout the weekend, you’ve got options for tonight, Saturday and Sunday!

Check out what’s on below.

OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY

Pride WA’s official after party is bigger and better than ever, taking over Metro City after the main event at Gloucester Park.

Local icons Alter Boy, Queency, Flewnt and Corroboree For Life will be lighting up the main stage, with five fabulous DJs across two dancefloors (including Timbee and Her Highness) and MC’s Tani Walker and Optamus.

The Official After Party is at Metro City on Saturday 27 November from 10pm – 5am

I AM WOMAN – FRIDAY

Get down to the Doubletree Hilton TONIGHT for the return of Pride WA’s I Am Woman celebration.

Queer women, femmes and non-binary folks are invited to join in the revelry on Parade eve.

I Am Woman is at Double Tree Hilton on Friday 26 November from 9pm – 1am

CHERRY BOMB – FRIDAY

Cherry Bomb are celebrating their second birthday this PrideFEST season with a pre-parade party and lip sync extravaganza!

More than a dozen artists will be battling it out for prizes for judges Justin Sider, Dallas Dickson and Serenity Von Varda, with an extra special performance from Flynn V.

Cherry Bomb is on at Lucy’s Love Shack on Friday 26 November from 11pm – 5am

RAVE RELIEF X DECOLONISE

Homopolitan and Boorloo Justice are teaming up to throw another huge edition of this inclusive Pride party & charity fundraiser.

The event draws inspiration from the roots of the Pride movement, alternative queer culture and community, and holds a strong focus on First Nations & QPOC talent. Pre-sale tickets are now sold out, but there will be limited door sales.

Rave Relief X Decolonise is at The Rechabite on Saturday 27 November from 8pm – 2am

CONNECTIONS: A LITTLE RESPECT

Connections Nightclub are staying on theme to this year’s PrideFEST with A Little Respect: a celebration of love after a year of highs and lows.

Don’t miss a stellar show with Blake Cassette, Moxie Heart, Serenity Von Varda, Veronica Jean Jones, Bettie Bombshell, Bebe Babow, Moesha, Miss Cara, Jason Green, Freddie B Perfect, Jovan, Haydn and Ruby Jewelz, along with DJs H. Sailor, Mama Cass, Leask, Scout, Amanda Power and DJ JJ.

A Little Respect is on at Connections Nightclub on Saturday 27 November from 8pm – 5am

THE COURT STREET PARTY

The Court’s iconic street party returns after hiatus with four massive zones across the venue and into the street!

Be entertained with performances from Fay Rocious, Cougar Morrison, Donna Kebab, Sassie Cassie, Jovan, Isaac and special guests, and get down to tunes from Mishtee, DJ Frankie Mac, Domenic Furfaro, Mike De Wet, Kayty Banks, 3Stripes, Warwick and Dale Ingvarson.

Pride Street Party is on at The Court on Saturday 27 November from 7pm

POOL PARTY

Head down to Doubletree Hilton for a recovery party and cool yourself off after the hottest night of the year.

Live DJ, dance performances, pool party vibes and a range of food & beverage options available.

Recovery Sunset Pool Party is on at Doubletree Hilton on Sunday 28 November from 4pm – 8pm

SUNDAY CLUB

Perth Steam Works are launching their new and improved Pride recovery party this Sunday.

The team are inviting you to enjoy the sundeck, lap up the new cocktail menu and unwind in the sauna and spa with tunes from Lucky Pete.

Sunday Club is on at Perth Steam Works on Sunday 28 November

OIP Staff

Editor’s note: This may not be an exhaustive list – if we’ve missed anything please send us an email to editor@outinperth.com

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