Rainbow Festival proudly shows its colours

GEELONG’S LGBTQIA+ community stepped out and showed its colours over the weekend in the return of the Geelong Rainbow Festival.

Hosted by “glambassador” Goldie Cox, the two-day event began on Saturday with hundreds of participants joining Geelong Rainbow Pride March from the festival’s old location in Johnstone Park to its new home in Geelong West Park, which then hosted entertainment throughout the day as well as children’s activities, food stalls and LGBTQIA+ service providers.

Geelong Rainbow’s Emma Williams said the two community art projects on offer over the day – the Pride Wings, which people could leave a handprint on; and the Pride Tree, where people could choose a leaf showing the flag they identified with and write a message – were both very popular.

“We ended up with a beautiful tree with really meaningful messages.

“It was a fantastic day, there was lots of community engagement.”

First held in 2017, the Geelong Rainbow Festival has run every year since except for 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Williams estimated about 500 people attended over the course of the day each day this year, but this was still impressive given the festival’s postponement from its usual February date and interrupted preparation time.

“It wasn’t as large as it potentially could have been – we had a very short run-up for advertisement.

“We only started organising six weeks out, so it was a very short run-up, but it was a great turnout for that, and next year we will have a much greater chance to advertise and get the word out there.

“We really wanted to do this for the community because it was such a long time for them without connection, so this was really all about the community getting together again, touching base and making sure they’re all okay.”

Geelong MP Christine Couzens and Member for Western Victoria Andy Meddick also attended the festival over the weekend.

“It was fantastic. After not being able to hold it for the past couple of years for obvious reasons, it was wonderful to see such a great turnout for the march and the festival itself,” Mr Meddick said.

“I think Geelong has always had a really strong, proud and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community, and I think the growth of the community reflects the growth of the Geelong region.”