Wednesday, 23 October 2024

City’s Rainbow Procession project nominated for award

The City has been nominated as a finalist in the LG Professionals Honour Awards for its IDAHOBIT Rainbow Procession; a pilot project aimed at improving the mental health and social connections of young LGBTQIA+ people in Subiaco.

The project – which is a contender for the Connecting Communities award – saw two local LGBTQIA+ support groups at Perth Modern School and Shenton College come together to plan a community event for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May.

The result was a colourful procession winding its way through the streets of Subiaco, featuring rainbow umbrellas and choreographed drone photography.

Following the successful event, 100 per cent of participants reported feeling happier, safer and more connected.

One participant said, “My favourite part of the Rainbow Procession was getting to hang out with other queer students from different schools. Meeting the other queer students reminded me that I’m not alone. That I’m not a freak.”

Another student said, “Walking down Rokeby Road with the rainbow umbrellas was my favourite part. It showed the community that we exist. And it was really nice to see so many people smiling at us. I was expecting more weird looks to be honest.”

Regardless of the outcome of the award on Tuesday 5 November, the tremendous success of this initiative has inspired the City to start planning the next project for local LGBTQIA+ school groups. Stay tuned for updates.

 

extraMile by Dapth