First Tropical Pride Festival held

The inaugural Tropical Pride Festival was held at Cairns' Tanks Art Centre on September 16. The night before the festival, for the first time a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) contingent — consisting of 50 people — marched in the festival's Cairns Parade of Lights, watched by some 10,000 people.

An estimated 1000 people attended the next day's festival, which was opened by retired sexual health physician and author David Bradford. Speakers included Shelley Argent from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG) Brisbane and Jim Turnour, ALP candidate for Leichhardt.

Entertainment was provided by a gay and lesbian choir that had formed especially for the event, Caravan of Love, Smash Mojo and Battle of the DJs. The festival was coordinated by the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities and is set to become an annual event.

From GLW issue 725