Mardi Gras is just around the corner my friends and this year will be the first year WorldPride will be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere — in Sydney’s own backyard. How lovely.
The celebration will go for 17 days, from Friday the 17th of February until Friday the 3rd of March.
BWS is joining in on the fun, teaming up with a bunch of LGBTQIA+ creatives to create rooms at its BWYASSS House of Pride activation. Every room has been created by members of the LGBTQIA+ community and have been designed to ensure everyone feels welcome.
The rooms are aimed at catering to everyone’s interests; from those that prefer to kick back and relax, to those who want to strut their stuff on the runway (literally, there’ll be a runway).
So whether you like to get down and dance or sit back and chat with a Little Creatures, Absolut Vodka or Squealing Pig Rose, there’s space for you. And the best part? It’s FREE. Head here to tell BWS what about your authentic self you are most proud of and you can grab a double pass to come celebrate.
With Pride Month still a couple of weeks away, we thought this would be the perfect time to ask people what Pride Month means to them.
Charli, 22
“I can see why some people feel like the whole thing can get tokenistic, but at the same time, it’s actually rad Pride Month is something that is so accessible and welcomed by so many people. Like think back just a few decades ago — things have come so far and it’s really beautiful to see.”
Sasha, 24
“For me, every month is Pride Month. Sorry, I don’t mean that in an annoying way, I just think why just the month? Why not a year? Every year? Pride lifetime baby. Not a knock on the event by the way. It’s amazing that we get to have time dedicated to celebrate such a diverse and beautiful community and the fact that WorldPride is happening in Sydney for the first time ever is really cool.”
Milly, 19
“I’m actually driving up to Sydney for it and I’m so excited. I’m still discovering my sexuality and what it means to me, what I feel about sex and love. Still learning how to love other people and love myself, but I have a few friends who — let’s just say we’ve all had similar experiences growing up, similar hard times — and it’s going to be so amazing seeing them all there and experiencing it all in person for the first time. Yeah, I’m stoked.”
Luke, 28
“It’s the perfect month to weed out the toxic people in your life. Every time Pride rolls around I usually unfollow a few people on social media. It’s really helpful to see who tells on themselves.”
Adrian, 26
“I never liked Pride Month. Or anything like that, rainbows, I just rejected it. I was always proud of who I was and I’ve never hidden it. But something about the consumerism part of it all didn’t sit well with me but I was just an angsty teen. I also didn’t like Christmas and now I love Christmas. And I don’t mind Pride. If it helps just one person feel more comfortable with who they are then it’s a good thing.”
Samantha, 21
“People say it’s tokenistic but last Pride I came out to my family. I don’t know if I would’ve done it anyway eventually, maybe I would’ve, but also I’m not sure. I do know for sure that seeing the way the tide has turned just even in the last five years has made me feel like I’m worth celebrating, I’m worth loving. I like it, I look forward to it.”
Excited for WorldPride? Here’s how you can win tix.
