Subj : VIBRANT, COLOURFUL WELLINGTON PRIDE PARADE GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH
To : All
From : Major Queen
Date : Sat Mar 07 2020 10:14 pm
SOURCE EXPRESS
"There must be 50,000 people here," Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy
announced at the Parade's finish line. "Despite representing one, I have
never been surrounded by so many queens," she told onlookers, her nails
varnished in rainbow colours.
The Wellington International Pride Parade (WIPP) has been another huge
success in New Zealand's epic 2020 Pride calendar.
The parade began with a rainbow ribbon being cut by organisers of
Wellington's original pride event, the Gay and Lesbian Fair Day, Des and
Joliff.
The ribbon cutting followed speeches from current and former MP's Louisa Wall
and Georgina Beyer who called for unity, listening and understanding in
community following complaints about WIPP from Gender Minorities Aotearoa who
objected to the presence of NZ Police, Defense Force and corporations in the
parade.
Their complaints saw just one group (a coalition of banks) pull out of the
parade, while the remaining 45 groups still marched. These included the big
and beefy Bear New Zealand, inclusive Rugby Team the NZ Falcons, the
Department of Conservation, Countdown Supermarkets, St John's Ambulance and
the New Zealand Fire Service.
The NZ Defense Force marchers included Vice Chief of Defense Tony Davis. The
Defense Force were lead by their brass band, playing among other tunes, the
disco-classic 'Celebration'.
The parade closed to the NZ Police marching in uniform (including Police
Commissioner Mike Bush). They were lead by their pipe band playing Scotland
The Brave.
