Port Phillip Council is proudly celebrating the LGBTIQA+ community with the Rainbow flag set to be raised on 1 February as Council is once again a major sponsor of the Midsumma Festival.
Council’s flag raising ceremony will take place at St Kilda Town Hall, while the Rainbow flag will also be flying at the Port Melbourne and South Melbourne Town Halls.
Port Phillip Mayor Marcus Pearl said: “The Rainbow flag is a symbol of pride and inclusion.
By flying the flag, we continue to raise awareness for the important work still needed to combat discrimination.”
The flag raising ceremony is the traditional curtain raiser to the annual Midsumma Pride March on 6 February when Fitzroy Street comes alive in a colourful celebration of diversity.
Council is committing $90,000 towards the Pride March and presenting Midsumma programming in the City of Port Phillip.
Midsumma Chief Executive Karen Bryant said: “Midsumma is thrilled to be partnering with City of Port Phillip as part of our broader 2022 Midsumma Festival to present Midsumma Pride March.
“With the huge impacts of COVID, the opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate, support one another, and champion the ongoing road to PRIDE for all our diverse communities, has never been more important.”
The Midsumma Festival features a program of about 200 events from 23 January to 13 February, with 30 of those hosted in Port Phillip in spaces such as Gasworks Arts Park, Theatre Works, Temperance Hall and the jewel in St Kilda’s rainbow crown, the Victorian Pride Centre.
These events will see a diverse mix of LGBTIQA+ artists, performers, communities and audiences unite for three weeks of queer cultural celebrations.
Those wishing to view the flag raising ceremony at St Kilda Town Hall at 4 pm on 1 February, canregister their interest via: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/859076?bof=1
The event will also be live streamed via Council’s Facebook page.
Midsumma Festival events in Port Phillip include:
• Freedom is Mine photography exhibition of LGBTIQA+ Asylum Seekers – Victorian Pride
Centre, 19 January to 15 February
• Progression audio-visual installation – Gasworks Arts Park, 24 January to 13 February
• St Kilda Queer History Walk – Victorian Pride Centre, 29 & 30 January
• The Art Hunter Presents, Twilight Salon – Alex Theatre, 29 January to 5 February
• LGBTIQA+ Flag Raising Ceremony – St Kilda Town Hall front lawn, 1 February, 4 PM – 5
PM
• Midsumma Pride March – Fitzroy Street and Catani Gardens, 6 February, 11 AM – 2.15 PM
• A Gay On The Lawn Pride March afterparty – St Kilda Sports Club, 6 February, 1 PM –
9.30 PM
• Queer Pasifika: The Rebirth of the Cool – Victorian Pride Centre, 10 February
For further information on all events, visit the Midsumma Festival website.
