On February 17, Rainbow Pride Auckland will be organising its annual Pride event, the Auckland Rainbow Parade which celebrates the diversity and resilience of New Zealand’s LGBTQIA+ community.
The parade will take place at Ponsonby Road from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. "This year, we’re aiming to make the parade the biggest celebration Auckland has ever seen. Whether you’re a community group, a workplace, or an individual with a message of support, the parade is the perfect opportunity to show your pride," says an organiser.
The parade is meant to be a tribute to the heroes who fought against AIDS in the 1990s, and honours LGBTQIA+ advocates, representatives, and trailblazers who have paved the way for the community.
The parade aims to showcase the best of Auckland to LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies from across the globe.
The march and parade in Auckland came about after a community discussion in 2019 resulted in the cancellation of the Auckland Pride Parade then.
This led to a protest march from Albert Park to advocate for pride rights. The Rainbow Parade in Ponsonby was started to celebrate and show solidarity with the rainbow and ally communities.
This will be the second year of motorised floats during the parade, since the start of the parade in 2020. Pre-registration is a requirement to join the parade due to health and safety compliances (See website https://rainbowparade.nz).
Rainbow Pride Auckland was established to provide an inclusive vehicle to organise a parade to celebrate New Zealand's LGBTQIA+ rainbow community.
"We celebrate the diversity of our communities and their rich tapestry of individualism, identity, freedom of expression, community culture and growing everyday acceptance.
“We are here to lead the celebration and give a voice to everyone underneath the rainbow umbrella, highlighting who we are and who we are proud to be. We are here to run a parade that becomes a focal point of Rainbow communities in New Zealand.
“The result will be a world-class event that draws attention from on and offshore audiences, showcasing our broad identity to all the community," says an organiser.
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