CAPE TOWN PRIDE REACHES CLIMAX
The 2009 Cape Town Pride Festival reached its climax on Saturday with a parade through the city’s streets and various after-parties.
Hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender marchers of all ages, hues and sizes, along with family, friends and supporters walked through the centre of the Mother City, on a sweltering hot day.
The parade was led by the Cape Town Pride float, which was followed by colourful and imaginative floats from various organisations, bars and clubs.
While organisers claimed around 5,000 people took part in the parade, a number of participants expressed some disappointment with the turnout of supporters along the route.
The parade ended at the Prestwich School on the periphery of Cape Town’s ‘Pink Block’ where revellers attended the Pride Carnival. The celebration included a line-up of live entertainment such as the Hip Fusion Belly Dancers, DJ Tony Morris from New York, drag artistes Lola Fine and Victoria Caballaire, and Cape Town’s classic kwaito fusion band CODA.
Despite discontent from some local gay organisations who were offended by this year’s theme “Pink Ubuntu: Jou ma se Pride”, and who also called for a boycott of the festival, attendance over the 16 day-long festival was not affected, said organisers.
They reported that the various events, which included the Pride Pageant, the annual Red Party, The Fetish and Underwear Party, the Beach Picnic and more serious events such as seminars and a Women’s Open Mic Night, were well supported by Cape Town’s queer community.
i just think the festival is far too drawn out for a community our size. rumour has it that some of the things, like the seminars, had nobody attending. with a city such as our and a gay community that is not that big, if you compare it to some of the other HUGE international prides, i dont think it justifies having a pride festival that streches over 16 odd days?! why not make it smaller and more concentrated?! spend the time and money on quality events and not a lot of mediocre ones….
dont get me wrong… i did the parties and had some great fun but i just feel that we could do SO much better… this is Cape Town afterall!!!
Agreed. I agree, it is the same in Jo-burg. They always have these seminars, and lectures, and workshops that very very few people ever attend. The gay community does not like to get too serious. So they should really have more fun things to get the same message accross. I was at Sydney’s Mardi Gras and they have several different events during the Mardi Gras month. Like pool parties, theatre shows, flea markets etc etc. So combine your talk or message with a fun day or fun night out and you will get attendance, and get the message accross.
Absolutely…. I agree that the festival needs to be more qualitative than quantitative. There needs to be a balance between partying and awareness-raising about issues that are particularly pertinent to the gay community. I disagree that organisers should do away with seminars. I attended 2 health seminars hosted by Triangle Project at Friendly Society on MSM Sexual Health & Male Rape – it was very well-attended with over 50 people there. So there is room for it all.
Jou Ma Se pride…. To be fair and accurate, The CPT pride march were not attended by 5000 people. One needs to note the term used in the Theme is offensive and badly chosen.
The pride committee apparently “voted” for a new chairman, Glenn De swart, but his buddy Ian just handed him the throne. CPT ppl want to see a more inclusive approach concerning the people Pride affects, and one who is more intune with the people.
Why is it that White males who has no sensitivity regarding others cultures can choose a theme and just go with it…
Pride were not attended by the Joint Working group, so it left a lot of representation out of the loop. Triangle, the inner circle and GHMCC all were absent…
I think The gay comminty needs to dig deeper as why this was so and why the relevant parties werent consulted…
Glenn just the politics out of it, so triangle project released you from your duties dont get back at them by playing dirty.
CAPE TOWN PRIDE, we want a RE-Election ASAP!!!
You hit the nail on the head. As a trans-person, I was alienated from the celebrations. Gender Dynamix created a space for us at a discussion – but that was it!!! I couldn’t agree more with Christo – I followed the debate and I wondered why certain people were so defensive of the theme which was and still remains offensive. Organisations including communitities raised their concerns and directed those concerns to the pride committee – yet all you read were offensive personal attacks on certain individuals who are doing fabulous work in the community. I too wonder why the chair chose to target Triangle specifically accusing them of dividing the community. The issues were not addressed by the pride board, instead certain people from the board responded in an ugly, cheap and demeaning manner. Christo – you should write directly to the pride committee and challenge the chair regarding your observations!!!!!
get ur facts str8. Maybe if you had your facts in order you wouldnt be writing such utter bullshit…
Pride. I think what christo is saying is certainly valid. From a white gay male, one questioned whether it was a White gay pride March and one for everyone, regardless of where they come from and what colour they are.
I think to charge at the Pride Carnival was a big slap for those who struggles financially… considering that these people were also the one who formed part the “5000” that were claimed…
The Carnival in my view was a KAK party.. the openning act was a freak show with “magic of p…”, half the people on the program never showed and a cheap drag artist who cant even mime to “get this party started”…. It was such a waste.. no wonder the line-up was never published… no one woould`ve cum with such a bad organised event.
Belly dancers? every year we get these ladies… cum on CPT pride… shape up or get out…
And next time… be more considerate i terms of race, gender and political issues… not all of us are white, old and aging and have an agenda with our African brothers and Sisters… lets trully be a group of gay that can unite all cultures… seems we forgot about that slogan of CPT PRide