‘Equality is non-negotiable’: pride on show in streets
Visibility and solidarity with the LGBTQI community in Australia were on full display at the colorful and inclusive Midsumma Pride Parade.
More than 13,500 march participants marched through the streets of St Kilda, Melbourne, and an estimated 20,000 spectators were also there in support.
In keeping with tradition, the parade began on Sunday morning with the roaring engines of Dykes on Bikes, followed by Rainbow Riders Victoria and Melbourne Motorcycle Tourers.
The parade is one of the biggest events on the pride calendar and the culmination of the Midsumma Festival, a major event celebrating LGBTQI arts and culture in Victoria.
More than 230 events were organized during the 22-day festival, appealing to everyone from babies to the elderly.
The 2026 theme was time and place, Midsumma CEO Karen Bryant said, and captured the critical junctures LGBTQI communities face internationally.
“There is a huge increase in hate, discrimination and efforts to attack our communities both overseas and in Australia,” Ms Bryant told AAP.
“Our communities feel there is a growing threat to everyday rights, but also to many of the hard-won rights we have worked to secure… it is a complex time and what is happening globally has emboldened conservative segments of society.
“The whole festival, and certainly this pride parade, is about visibility and solidarity. It’s about standing up for our communities and Victoria to say that equality really matters.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was proud to stand with the state’s LGBTQI community and take part in the march.
“We’re going to support (the LGBTQI community) every day because we’re seeing far-right politicians here and around the world using this period of history as a moment to attack queer people, to really intimidate and cause great harm and distress to our queer community,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“We will take the necessary steps to strengthen the law here in Victoria and provide funding and support to initiatives that support our gay community and make clear that equality is non-negotiable.”
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