BENDIGO Pride\u2019s festival director of the past five years is at the helm of the program for one last hurrah before he will pass on the baton.<\/p>\n
John Richards said Bendigo is a special place for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and that he wanted the location itself to play an important role in the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things I\u2019d always wanted to do was celebrate that sense of place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to think this was just a festival that could be anywhere, I wanted it to be a festival that could only happen in Bendigo because it\u2019s also the stories we tell about that city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the most memorable moments over the past several years, Mr Richards said there were lots to choose from.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing for me was probably Edward de Lacy Evans, so sort of reviving Edward\u2019s memory from his time as an outed transman in the 1880s living in Bendigo, to then being an international controversy or even pariah,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo his life ending quite badly, being forgotten. Then, remembering and commemorating him through a really colourful artwork in Chancery Lane.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that that led to an apology from the Bendigo Advertiser for the way they reported on trans issues 143 years earlier, it was so moving and so touching.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the fact that there was a story and I feel like we gave Edward a bit of a happy ending.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other things Mr Richards is proud of include painting the giant pride flag on the road outside Town Hall in 2022 and setting up a pop-up national queer museum in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought so many amazing people to town, we did so many incredible things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve brought hundreds of thousands of dollars to town, we\u2019ve reflected the lives of all sorts of people who perhaps don\u2019t always get their moment in the sun, and I think we\u2019ve just brought a lot of joy and understanding.”<\/p>\n
According to Mr Richards, stepping down is an opportunity for him to enjoy future years of Bendigo Pride without the stress of making sure it all works out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO Pride\u2019s festival director of the past five years is at the helm of the program for one last hurrah before he will pass on the baton. John Richards said Bendigo is a special place for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and that he wanted the location itself to play an important role in the […]<\/p>\n