When a band of LGBTI people and their allies march down Pall Mall on Sunday as part of Bendigo’s Easter parade, they will be aiming to increase the profile of their sometimes marginalised community.
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It is believed to be the first LGBTI-themed contingent in the daytime parade’s history.
Headspace mental health clinician Millee Rice was encouraged to organise the marching group after an entry in last year’s torchlight procession was warmly received.
“As we walked past each section we were getting massive applause,” she said.
Bendigo Queer Film Festival representatives and members of La Trobe university’s Rainbow Eagles queer collective will walk alongside headspace’s youth diversity group.
Ms Rice hoped the LGBTI community in Bendigo would become more visible by taking part in the Easter festival tradition.
Although she had prepared young members of the group for backlash, she did not expect they would confront bigotry on the day.
City of Greater Bendigo major events manager Terry Karamaloudis welcomed the group, saying Bendigo was an inclusive place for all people.
He also said this year parade attracted more entries than any other, with 51 in the torchlight procession and another 69 on the Sunday march.
The development comes five months after members of the LGBTI community first called for a pride event in their city. Pride days or festivals are commonplace in regional Victoria, with Albury-Wodonga, Geelong, Ballarat and Daylesford offering celebrations of gender and sexuality diversity.
LGBTI residents and their allies are invited to join the group on Sunday.
Walkers will parade behind a rainbow pride flag and participants are being encouraged to don rainbow colours in support of diversity.
Mark Kearney
Journalist. Traveller. Pop culture connoisseur. Mark is passionate about education, the arts and social justice, especially stories affecting the LGBTI community.
Journalist. Traveller. Pop culture connoisseur. Mark is passionate about education, the arts and social justice, especially stories affecting the LGBTI community.
