Pride and joy taking centre stage
The inaugural pride festival for the City of Logan will celebrate joy and belonging on 12 October at the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct.
Coinciding with International Coming Out Day on 11 October, the Loud & Proud Logan festival embraces the identities and shared experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual/agender (LGBTQIA+) community.
The multi-arts festival will spotlight the work of the LGBTQIA+ community with art exhibitions, live performances, film screenings and more.
Event organiser Ali Strachan hopes Loud & Proud Logan is just the beginning of a greater cultural shift in the city.
‘An event like this allows us to increase visibility, start meaningful conversations and dispel stigmas around what it means to be LGBTQIA+ with positive stories and role models from within the community,’ she says.
The festival’s lineup includes more than 110 LGBTQIA+ artists and performers who embody pride, including award-winning drag queens Lulu LeMans and Scarlett Fever, who will be performing in one of Logan’s most iconic arts and entertainment venues, the Butterbox Theatre.
Also performing will be Brisbane Pride Choir, with choir president and Daisy Hill resident Kelly Houston excited to be a part of the inaugural event.
‘When I was growing up, there wasn’t a huge amount of visibility – we were very much in the closet,’ Kelly says.
‘This event will show our young people that it’s totally safe in our community to be who you are, your true authentic self.’
A nod to other pride events from around the world, Loud & Proud Logan is both a community celebration and a reaffirmation of allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community.
‘Our city is full of incredible people working hard for our community, yet all the support for the LGBTQIA+ community happens behind closed doors – but with visibility comes awareness,’ Ali says.
‘Kingston Butter Factory has been hugely supportive, and we know Logan has a huge heart.’
Get tickets to Loud & Proud Logan.
Loud & Proud Logan is supported by Logan City Council and the Queensland Government via the Investing in Queensland Women Fund and Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund. It’s also supported by Bulk Nutrients and Pride Foundation Australia.
Photo at top by Annie Dove, Ethereal Images: The Brisbane Pride Choir putting their vocal talents to work.
