26th October, 2005
The 16th Annual Pride Parade & Fireworks has attracted a record field, with 52 entries set to light up the streets of Northbridge this Saturday night.The Parade & Fireworks will bring the Pride Festival to a spectacular climax, following a month of arts, culture and community events, that have attracted thousands of people into Northbridge, the home of the Pride Festival.
Pride Co-President Daniel Smith said the Pride Parade was the second biggest gay and lesbian street Parade in Australia, behind Sydney's Mardi Gras Parade, and would again feature a rich and diverse ensemble of floats.
"The Pride Parade & Fireworks remain Northbridge's biggest night of the year, attracting more than 70,000 people into the City for a vibrant and exciting carnivale," he said.
"This year's Parade will feature a record number of floats, that will again include the WA Police and this year include the Telethon Car, which will hand out lollies to all the kids in the crowd. Pride’s Lucianno Pavarotti may even make a special appearance.
"The Parade & Fireworks will again be synchronised to a live Parade soundtrack, broadcast across the metropolitan area on Nova 93.7 FM."
Pride Co-President Laura Foster said, while the Parade was a fun and spectacular event, its purpose remained to increase the visibility of the Pride Community and build acceptance and tolerance within the broader community.
"While Western Australia has the best lesbian and gay laws in the country, there is still a lot to be achieved to build tolerance and acceptance throughout the community," she said.
"Only a week ago, we saw a young man named Jody Dobrowski beaten to death in England for being gay, even though England has even more progressive laws than here in Western Australia.
"It goes to show that it is harder to win the hearts and minds of some people in society and events like the Pride Parade must continue until lesbian and gay Western Australians have nothing to fear by being different."
The 16th Annual Pride Parade & Fireworks will begin with pre-parade entertainment at 7pm. The Parade will kick off from the corner of William and Brisbane Streets, track down William Street, turn into James Street and conclude at Russell Square. Fireworks will be launched from the top of the Roe Street Carpark and the Parade soundtrack will be broadcast on Nova 93.7 FM.