Float to showcase Rotorua's pride in Auckland

There's nervous excitement for a group of 30 who will be part of the Proudly Rotorua float in the Auckland Pride Parade.

The 90 minute parade down Ponsonby Rd today is known as the largest event for the rainbow community (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) in the country with more than 50 floats taking part.

Proudly Rotorua spokesman Tamati Coffey said the group had been working towards today's event for the last three months.

"Everybody is nervous but it's excited nerves. It's really good to have those normal kind of feelings, but we're feeling good. It's been a lot of hard work, we've met weekly for the last three months just putting it all together and have been learning the dance choreography for a month and a half."

Mr Coffey said they had strong support and sponsorship from local tourism operators and had sold space for them to advertise on pamphlets promoting Rotorua which they would be handing out to the 70,000 plus crowd expected to watch the parade.

"[The commitment from the group] has been brilliant. We will be one of three floats from out of town. [Today] is a bit of an end of the road for us, but it's about the journey not the destination. While the whole thing may be 90 minutes it's about meeting up and getting to know each other and socialise with one another," Mr Coffey said.

"This event is important to the rainbow community to feel that kind of solidarity within the community. We're often the minority and we can hold hands in the street and feel proud and for a moment feel like the majority."

Police staff will also march in the parade.

Former Rotorua police area commander, now police commissioner Mike Bush, said it would be a proud moment for police staff when they marched in their full uniform, supported by friends, family and whanau.

"As an organisation we look to encourage staff to 'use who they are' not 'lose who you are' when becoming a police officer," he said.

"Therefore it's important to encourage staff to show pride in the communities they represent.

"We are a diverse organisation and should celebrate that diversity and treasure all the differences that make each of us unique," Mr Bush said.