Last year Durban Pride was held at Kings Park with a parade. This year the venue was the Ampitheatre on the North Beach opposite the Elangeni Hotel. Members of the LBGTI community were not happy though as there was no parade. But as Lucky from the Gay Centre explained to me that because the Top Gear Festival was held two weeks earlier, it was logistically impossible to plan and include a parade in this year's Pride event. However next year Pride will move to the month of August and a Pride march/parade will be part of the programme. That being said, let's take a look at this year's Durban Pride Festival. As member of the DA (Democratic Alliance) we set up an info table in the middle, surrounded by tables of various other gay/gay-friendly organizations. And before you as a South African ask why was the DA there........ the ANC also came to set up an info table as well. The DA has a lot of openly gay members, MP's and city councillers country wide, so why should we not be be supporting this event? Just for the record, my city counciller is gay, and I'm gay. So what? As far as attendance figures go, it would appear from my photos that not many people turned up. It seemed that people only started turning up at around 3pm, which was when I was trying to get a cab to go home. I had been there since 10am. Around 4pm all the Jhburg and local and Jhburg drag performers started to arrive. And where was my camera? Packed away already! Remember I was trying to get a cab to go home! But hats off to the organizers and the Durban Gay & Lesbian Centre, you certainly did a great job. Hopefully it will even be better next year in August when there will be a parade. So start organizing your costume, and go shopping for your wigs etc as 2014 is just around the corner!
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| Yours truly at Durban Pride 2013. |
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