Pride Wairau take two

A well-attended dawn gathering kick-started Marlborough’s second annual Pride Wairau celebration in central Blenheim on Friday. Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor cut a ribbon to kick off eight days of visible celebration for the LGBTQ community and supporters.

Over one hundred people braved the Friday morning chill and joined Pride Wairau organisers, supporters, dignitaries and special guest speaker Campbell Johnstone to set in motion a busy calendar of events which run through until Sunday.

“Pride says you’re not alone, you are not wrong, you’re not too much, you’re enough, right here, just as you are”, said Pride Wairau chair Jesse North. “We are doing this because we know that pride in regional communities isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline for many in places where Rainbow Youth might feel isolated, where support networks aren’t always obvious and community can feel just out of reach.”

Former All Blacks prop Campbell Johnstone echoed Jesse’s words, relating his own experience with struggling to accept his sexuality from a young age.

“At the age of 14 or 15, I realised I was gay ... sitting with friends at school talking about how gorgeous this girl was and I was sitting there thinking, “I don’t see that, but I’ve seen some good-looking blokes – but I can’t be gay, I’m a rugby player.

“It scared me because it never fitted the ideal I had in my own head and thought it was going to derail my desire to be an All Black, because I’d never seen a gay rugby player.

“It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I realised that your goals are not determined by your sexuality, race, or religion, but it is your determination and drive that determine the outcome of the goal.

“Every little bit of visibility makes it easier for the next person to be their authentic self.

“Now, I am comfortable with my authentic self and it’s because of Pride events and the visibility we see now that made it possible for me to be my true self, so thank you, and thank you to the next person who has the strength to be their true self.”
Mayor Taylor said the efforts of the board had not gone unnoticed.

“It’s clear that in the 12 months since the inaugural Pride, you guys haven’t rested on your laurels and have worked really hard. This year’s theme of ‘Here’ represents the fact that Pride Wairau is here to advocate, here to educate, and most importantly, here to celebrate joyful expression and a powerful movement.

“We take a moment to acknowledge those pioneers who stood this kaupapa when it really was the hardest, but here in Marlborough today, we’re standing so joyfully, tall, and telling our own story,” said the Mayor.

Jesse summed it up. “What was once just an idea has become a 10-day festival packed with 14 different events — a mix of art, education, visibility, protest, and, of course, celebration where locals are made feel welcome in their own hometown for the very first time, people who left the region and didn’t want to return, returning and reconnecting.

“In regional locations like ours, where rainbow communities and trans voices are often sidelined, under-represented, or made invisible for a long time, the idea of celebrating pride here publicly in the centre of town might have felt impossible to some. But look around you — we did it, again.”