Pigeon Post News: April 2022

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Nelson Pride Inc Announces Its 2022 Pride Week Program

NELSON PRIDE INC., ANNOUNCE.

Aimée Borlase, Chair of Nelson Pride Inc., has announced the program for Nelson Pride Week 2022. Pride Week is from the 23 April to the 2 May.

Nelson Pride are providing a range of low or no cost Covid-friendly events that will celebrate and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community of Nelson-Tasman and beyond.

The goal of Pride Week 2022 is to celebrate diversity, Queer history, local LGBTQI+ groups and promote opportunities for creating a safe, strong, and connected community.

The Pride Week 2022 program includes a rangatahi-centred Rainbow market, a potluck Brunch, two heritage talks, two beach outings and is closed out with a screening of the documentary Through Rainbow Coloured Glasses.

Events are set to take place throughout the Nelson and Tasman regions, from Atawhai to Stoke to Rabbit Island, and the line-up has been designed to go ahead under all Covid Traffic Light settings.

Two highlights of Pride Week are the educational heritage talks.

RED DOOR THEATRE. "Crossing The Lines"

On ANZAC day on 25 April, Nelson Pride warmly welcome Brent Coutts, to the Red Door Theatre, to talk about his book Crossing the Lines, the story of three homosexual soldiers in WWII and to speak about his experience as a researcher of queer history. This event is also part of Tuku22, Nelson’s Heritage Festival.

THE RED DOOR THEATRE "Top Story"

On 27 April, Nelson Pride committee member Ari Edgecombe presents also at the Red Door Theatre Top Story, a pictorial story-telling event on his journey from 10-day-old baby girl to the Southern fella he is today, with a strong focus on top-surgery medical adventures.

Pride Week will close out on the 2 May with a screening of the documentary Through Rainbow Coloured Glasses at the Pastorius Waller Auditorium at the Suter Art Gallery. This feature-length documentary, co-produced by Big Girls Blouse Productions and Pink Health Otautahi over 2006-2008, chronicles six decades of LGBTQ+ history in Christchurch.

SUTER ART GALLERY "Through Rainbow Coloured Glasses" 6.30PM 2 MAY PASTORIUS-WALLER THEATRE, SUTER GALLERY, 208 BRIDGE ST.

In a show of visual support for the LGBTQ+ Community, both the NCMA (Nelson Centre of Musical Arts) and Theatre Royal buildings will be lit up in rainbow colours throughout Pride Week.

Nelson Pride are also thankful for and acknowledge the funding they have received from the Nelson City Council Tuku22 Event Host Grant and the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust, for making Pride Week possible.

Nelson Pride chair Aimée Borlase said, “After the success of last year's inaugural Pride Week, and then with the disappointing cancellation of the Pride Ball, we’re just really excited to be able to finally put something on that we know is going to be able to go ahead at any alert level and that still provides a range of events and activities. Like 2021, this year will have a lot of family-oriented and educational events, which we know was something the community really enjoyed last year.”

Since 2017 Nelson Pride has been active and on the ground as an unincorporated organisation. Nelson Pride Incorporated was established as an incorporated society in 2021. They are a non-profit organisation operated by volunteers who are dedicated to developing social events that celebrate and provide connection for the LGBQIA+ Community in the Nelson/Tasman region.

The full program is available at Facebook.com/nelsonpridenz. For ticketing and venue information please see our Facebook page or email nelsonpridenz@gmail.com.

THE PROGRAM IS DETAILED BELOW: