Pride Whanganui chairwoman Christina Emery during Pride Week in March. Photo / Bevan Conley
Pride Whanganui chairwoman Christina Emery during Pride Week in March. Photo / Bevan Conley
Pride Whanganui is coming back from the Covid-19 lockdown with several events, kicking off with an evening of drinks at The Vic Bar on Victoria Ave today.
Pride Whanganui chairwoman Christina Emery said the evening at The Vic would be held every month, as a "Pride Drinks" event.
"It'll beheld on the second Thursday of every month, and it kicks off at 5pm," Emery said.
"It's just a chance for rainbow people to hang out together."
Charlie Meyerhoff, the manager of Stella Bar and The Vic, was "incredibly supportive of the rainbow community", Emery said.
"She really wanted to create something with us within Stella.
"People who come to these drink events might be a bit shy or introverted, so we're hoping that the smaller space at The Vic will create an intimate environment, where it's easy to talk to the person next to you."
After Pride Drinks, Emery said there would be a quiz night in the Stella function room on Sunday, July26.
"This is going to be running on the fourth Sunday of every month, and it's called 'jingo musical bingo', and you have lyrics on a piece of paper and a song plays and you find it and stamp it.
"We're doing it at 4 o'clock on a Sunday, mainly so we can have the inclusion of the entire community.
"Sometimes evening events don't lend themselves to those with kids or people who are a little bit older."
Stella, along with the neighbouring Vic Bar, will host the upcoming Pride Whanganui events. Photo / Bevan Conley
Emery said these would be the two monthly "benchmarks", and that "one hundred per cent anybody" was welcome to attend.
"Whether you identify in the rainbow, or outside the rainbow, as long as you're supportive.
"We aren't going to tolerate any ignorance or antisocial behaviour or anything like that, because we want to set up safe spaces for the community."
Aside from the monthly events, Pride Whanganui would also be hosting a movie screening fundraiser at Confluence Theatre on July 17, and a winter Pride party on August 28.
"The movie, 52 Tuesdays, is really interesting, and the story is about a mother and daughter, with the mother transitioning to male and the daughter also figuring out her identity and sexuality and where she fits in the spectrum of things.
"The winter party will include a couple of different things, with a DJ in the Stella function room, and karaoke, performances, and music in the main area.
"I still want our Pride party in March during Pride Week to be our big, annual, event, and this one will be a bit more chill.
