OPINION
Graeme Watson is a co-editor of OUTinPerth, and the co-owner of Speirins Media.
As November came to a close I don’t think I’ve never felt more exhausted. The official PrideFEST was 10 hectic and fun-filled days, but the celebration of our local LGBTIQA+ communities stretched over the entire month.
In years gone by there have been times when Perth’s annual Pride Festival has been little more than the tent-pole events of the popular Fairday and Pride Parade and not much in-between. Stuff that would have been happening anyway badged with a Pride sticker to fill out a festival of events. We’re a long way from those sad outings.
2024 was different, there was so many events you could go along to, and the diversity of events was exceptional.
PrideLive, a new event that saw four exceptional bands playing at the Ice Cream Factory was a highlight. Montainge, Cub Sport, Vera Blue and PNAU showed off their talents. It wasn’t a sell-out, but it as a mountain of fun, and it was an event that catered more to the indie-crowd. I hope will be back again in 2025.
The decision to concentrate the majority of the festival across two weekends makes a lot of sense. It will allow Pride WA to build audiences through tourism, and build important community and political links with our queer brothers and sisters in other countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Some people have expressed they were unprepared for the large number of events, finding their wallets stretched in the tight 10-day festival. So many choices, so little cash. Maybe start putting a little money aside each week if you want to hit up all the big events next year.
The Frontrunners Pride Run and Walk has become the third tent-pole of the festival and massive event that saw hundreds of people up early on a Saturday morning. Faction Carnival was another energetic community building event built around exercise.
Not everything cost money though, there were stacks of free and affordable events across the month; exhibitions in art galleries, photographic displays, artist chats in studios, literary events, talks from LGBTIQA+ refugees, mini-festivals in suburbia and sporting events galore.
Locating Fairday in Supreme Court Garden made it close to hotels for a future tourism audience, gave us heaps of parking options, and easy access to public transport.
The mix between community and business stalls, entertainment and refreshments was well integrated – a long way from the event in it’s Russell Square days where all the people would be in one half of the park with drinks, and a fence separating the mostly empty stalls on the other side. Yes, there needed to be more shade, something to think about for next year, and disability access was questioned too.
Pride didn’t just happen in Northbridge, Fremantle Pride was a great afternoon event, and we headed to Midland for Pride in Swan. It showed LGBTIQA+ people were embraced in the outer-suburban suburb. Out Southwest also had a fun day in Bunbury. We’re really hoping for Gosnells or Armadale Pride to be launched in 2025.
After the parade there was a host of events, each catering to a different crowd. Rave Relief at The Rechabite was massive, Connections showcased drag kings at their midnight show, The Court closed off the street, lesbians congregated at The Aberdeen. and there was quite a party going on in Russell Square too – and it was free.
Hanging out with the crew from WestPride Archives and watching videos of the Gay Olympics was insightful, OUTdance was a blast, the photos from Golfbag’s Pride Cup look like a lot of fun was had, I wish I could have made it to the roller derby, the hockey, the hiking, the karaoke, the night of Kylie tunes, the business networking drinks – but alas you just can’t go to everything.
Sadly some completely avoidable squabbles and disagreements about signage marred the finals days of the festival. Nobody looked good in that back and forth. Pride WA have said they’ll listen to their member’s views which may make for an interesting AGM this week.
The dispute over signs was avoidable because it first happened at Fairday, which means there was seven days to sort it out before we got to the parade. A few years ago Pride WA declared they were all about the party and not so much about the protest, a strategic direction that has since been wisely abandoned, but there’s still friction in this space. Pride WA have not worked out how much protest is allowed in a parade that commemorates protest. I have a suggestion – go for lots. Lots of protest, celebrate protest, encourage it.
The Great Gay Bake-Off was a bit of a fizzle, and I spent ages walking around Elizabeth Quay looking for a water polo game that had been quietly cancelled, but overall – 2024 was one of the best PrideFEST’s I can recall.
More importantly, in 2025 Pride WA is much more stable organisation, with a view for the future. In year’s gone by after the parade most of the committee members would of quit, and those remaining would have already vowed to head to the door at the AGM – the burnout was huge and the turnover was fast.
Some year’s incoming Pride committee members would be knocking on the doors of LGBTIQA+ owned business asking for large cheques to be written to get them through financial short falls.
Now they have funding secured for several years, they have a home, they have committee members staying with the organisation for multiple years, there are staff, not just volunteers, there is intuitional memory. These are the real achievements.
To the many volunteers, broad members and staff of Pride WA – well done. To all the community groups who put together events, parties, talks and exhibitions – it was fabulous.
Bravo to all involved.
