In what I am sure will be a ground breaking moment for Busselton, yesterday the tiny rural City hosted its very first Pride celebration.
I had registered to take part in the Parade that was scheduled at 1:30 to officially open the Pride festivities, and I was planning on riding my Indian Chief, alongside several other Motorcyclists from the Dykes on Bikes, and the South West Angels. I’ve got to admit I was just a teeny bit excited about the event. I passed the time in the morning, by spending some quiet moments polishing the Indian’s Chrome work, and adding a few bells and whistles, well just bells actually, but they looked great. The opportunity to meet some new friends was also a real benefit of this event for me, and after a short ride from home, I met up with a couple of the other Ladies riding in the Parade. As regular readers will know, Motorcycling is a large part of my life, and joining up with like minded riders is always fun. After a brief introduction and a warm hug, we climbed back onto the bikes and headed into the centre of the City, I could see that Mitchell Park was packed. The normally quiet grassy area in the Centre of town was heaving with Rainbow flag waving friends, family and allies. Running along the pathway through the park was an impressive lineup of Motorcycles, many of which were also decorated for the occasion. The show of support for the LGBTI community was massive, and a little surprising. There was a tangible Positive Energy filling the Streets and it felt good !!!
The Pride Parade that initiated the proceedings was a real highlight. The event may have lacked the scale of the Sydney Mardi Gras, but the Busselton Locals, and numerous visitors gave the event a massive amount of Heart. After a brief moment of confusion about the starting point for the bikes in the Parade we, eventually found ourselves lining up behind the St Johns Ambulance that would lead the spectacular range of participants along the Main Street. I’m pretty sure we were briefed about noise limits, but when the Ambulance Siren Sounded, it was taken as an invitation to make some noise and that advice seemed to be forgotten. The healthy rumble of large motorcycle engines, and numerous blasts of horns signified that this event was well and truly underway. it was noisy, colourful and fun. Busselton’s Queen Street, very briefly became Drag Queen Street, and the smiling faces that were lined up all the way along the Parade route clearly loved it.
At the end of the route, we parked our bikes, and turned to watch the rest of the parade arrive. The Drag Queens, the Stunning Burlesque Performer, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (who I have a huge amount of respect for), the Hoe Down Truck, and, the many many people just walking in the Parade and celebrating the wonderfully diverse nature of our society.
The end of the Parade signified the start of the afternoon of Pride Celebrations, that included some indigenous dancers, and numerous live bands and music acts. There were a few stalls and food trucks to keep the party goers fed and watered and adorned with flags, tee shirts and rainbows..
Top marks to the organisers, and numerous sponsors (including my lovely employers) who pulled this event together and provided the funds to make it all happen. I sincerely hope it becomes an annual event, that brings the people of Busselton together with the LGBTI community, and fosters a growth in understanding and acceptance. I’m not going to say Tolerance. I don’t want to be Tolerated, I want to be accepted, and events like this are a huge stride in the right direction.
I also want to publicly thank the amazing Ladies from WA Dykes on Bikes, and the Southwest Angels, who all stepped up and added a whole new dimension to the Parade. You all rock and made a huge difference yesterday ! THANK YOU <3
Of course its not all joy and smiles. Pride is an interesting concept. I think I’ve written before about my feelings on Pride. I still carry a great deal of shame, about who, and what I am. This led me to me spend some time deliberating about the photograph to use at the top of this page. There were literally dozens of cameras pointing in all directions, and it was inevitable I would end up being photographed. I continue to struggle with my appearance, and being bombarded with photos of myself triggered the inevitable crushing realisation that I am in appalling shape, despite my efforts with Diet and Exercise, I still have a long way to go, and I still feel hideous, a word I’m not supposed to use, but it expresses perfectly the nature of my personal experience of me……
Riding at the front of a parade with so many smiling, cheering people, supporting us all had a powerful effect. With this in mind here is a photo of me (thanks Eloise). I don’t like looking at the photo of course, but that look on my face, that half smile, I think thats the beginning of me catching something infectious, and I think its Pride….
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