GAY & LESBIAN PRIDE NEWS
Cape Town Gay pride festival has something for everyone
February 21, 2006
The finals of the Miss Gay Pride 2006 contest was held at the Red Party. The winner will be announced later in the week
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CAPE TOWN — The 2006 Cape Town Pride Festival started on Friday, and the pink people turned out in style to celebrate at the opening events.
The weekend’s opening events were a rave, with the mini-Pride parade held in Guguletu on Sunday really setting the region agog. The event was a first for South Africa, and was well attended with a parade of about 300 people. The Treatment Action Campaign showed their support for the parade and everyone walked for around 1.5 km, accompanied by a marimba band, a bass band and an opera singer. The parade was well-received by the community, and the event will be one to build on for Pride 2007.
The Pink Race day at Kenilworth Race Course enjoyed good support and high fashion with exciting racing as always. It was well-publicised on DSTV’s Telly Track and tickets were sold out. The Book Fair was another first, with talks by four local authors. Supported by Wordsworth books, it began with a poetry reading and went on to be a book signing by the authors.
On Monday 20th an Interfaith service was held at the Mowbray Town Hall. The photo exhibition will continue, and the Art Safari started at VEO Gallery , Jarvis Street, Green Point.
The HIV awareness programme began on Monday at the Cape Town Civic Centre. This is a joint project with the Department of Health and other parties.
There’s was also a fun-filled evening held at Bronx with a Karaoke competition, during which a panel of judges selected finalists to sing on stage at the Pride street party.
Events Tuesday – Thursday
On Tuesday the HIV awareness campaign and the photo exhibition continue, but there’s also a charity auction at Cruz. Prizes and blown up photos of MCQP will be auctioned to aid the Zip Zap Circus and Pride Shelter Trust. Entrance is free.
On Wednesday the Shebeen tour takes off for the townships. There are still a few tickets left, call 021 4256461 to book your place now. The Alphamale fashion show will be held at Cruz at 20h30, the Winelands Tour leaves from the Cape Quarter at 09h00 and Lush Sundowners will be held at Sliver Upstairs starting at 19h00.
Thursday’s Beach Gathering will happen at Clifton while the Community Video Suitcase will hold screenings of the Out in Africa gay movies at the Zolani Centre in Nyanga. As part of the HIV awareness campaign, a Your Right to be Informed Seminar will be held at the Civic Centre. Gay medical specialists will present the very latest research on re-infection (can you be re-infected if you're already HIV positive?), the impact of recreational chemicals on HIV and ARV treatments (what's that white powder really doing to you?) and the latest breakthroughs regarding nutrition and HIV. Its your right to be informed! Entrance is free, and you can get more details from Glenn at 021 4483812. You can have a luscious lunch at Capella Restaurant during the daytime, and Divas in Drag will perform at Sliver from 20h30.
Proceeds from Pride 2006 will go to the Pride Shelter Trust, a fund that has been created to establish a shelter for LGBT people in times of crisis. For more details about any of Pride's weekend events, please call Pride Connect at 082 919 2525 or visit www.capetownpride.co.za. Tickets for all events may be purchased from Rainbow Trade or Cape Info Africa (021 4256461). – Issued by Cape Town Pride Festival
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