Rachel Cook

50,000 revelers celebrate as the Prime Minister declares his support for Pride March.

    Photos: Vicki Jones.

An estimated 50,000 people attended the event, which featured 107 different community groups and organisations parading down Fitzroy Street and concluded with a party in the Catani Gardens by the foreshore.

The large crowd, up 10,000 from last year, is partly credited to the inclusion of athletes from the first Asia Pacific Outgames and their supporters.

“There did seem to be more people this year,” said Pride March Victoria secretary, Brett Hayhoe.

“Having the Outgames as part of it really made a difference, and it’s hard to make Pride marches different to previous years.”

The decision to hold a beach party this year also added to the success of the day, he said.

“Moving it further [towards] the water and having the beach party really, really worked. It made Catani Gardens the centre for celebrations. I imagine we will do that again next year, as it meant that nobody left after the march; there was just a sea of people from the time we got to Catani Gardens.”

As part of the post-march celebrations, the new member for Albert Park, Martin Foley, passed on a message of support from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who said his government would “continue to march towards tolerance, respect and diversity”.

“It was fabulous what Kevin Rudd said,” said Mr Hayhoe.

“It was the first time that a Prime Minister openly supported us. We certainly never received vocal and open support from a Prime Minister in the six years I have been on the board. It is most pleasing that he recognises how diverse this community is.”

One group missing from this year's Pride March was fundamentalist Christian group the Salt Shakers, who often attend the march to count the number of attendees.

“We have been monitoring what has been happening because we want to stop the lies and deceit about the numbers at Pride March. There is no way there was 50,000 people there; it’s ludicrous. At most there was probably five to ten thousand people, and there isn’t that many in the march either,” Salt Shakers’ executive officer, Peter Stokes, told MCV.

“We target Pride because it’s an unhealthy lifestyle; society should not be promoting it. It’s the same as if prostitutes were marching down the streets. We should be promoting healthy wholesome lifestyles, not sexual deviancy,” he concluded.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police said the event was a peaceful one, with only two people arrested for drunkenness and one recorded assault, which was not connected with Pride March.

Lorraine Little, co-president of the first Asia Pacific Outgames, applauded the success of Pride March, which also marked the official Closing Celebration of the Outgames.

“It was extraordinary at Pride, and it was a great way to involve all the Outgames participants and volunteers who worked so hard. It was perfect to have them acknowledged this way." 

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