Brad Dunn’s golden retriever is dressed for Pride Month. Photo: Brad Dunn.
LGBTQIA+ group “Esperance Pride” is hosting its first event on Saturday to celebrate Pride Month, educate locals and share their culture.
The family friendly day at the Esperance Bowling Club will feature music by LGBTQIA+ artists, games, stories, quizzes, reflection and gratitude.
Event organiser Brad Dunn created the Facebook group “Esperance Pride” six months ago as a safe space for Esperance’s Queer community.
Mr Dunn said he grew up in a small town where LGBTQIA+ members were quite isolated and he said Esperance was similar.
“When I moved down here, people were reporting being too scared to come out in the workplace and reporting quite a lot of harassment as well so that’s why we created [the Facebook] group — because of that demand,” Mr Dunn said.
“It got to the point where people were reporting leaving town because they didn’t feel seen or supported or they were too scared to come out.”
Mr Dunn said he too had been reserved because of the fear of judgement in town.
He said he initially made the Facebook page a year ago but held off posting it because he was concerned about the community’s response.
The group now has 152 members and Mr Dunn said it was growing rapidly.
He said attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ were improving in Esperance but said one of the most prominent places to experience prejudice was at work.
“It’s not always outwardly aggressive but it’s quite casual homophobia which can be hidden under jokes,” he said.
“It’s that kind of stuff which makes people not want to come out or makes people feel like they need to flee town to feel safe.”
He said his priority was the safety of the LGBTQIA+ community and said he wanted to educate others too.
“One of my goals for this community is the education of this culture in a safe way so we can understand how to talk about it without making someone who may not have come out just yet feel uncomfortable and drive them away,” he said.
He said others in the community could play their part too.
“The best thing I could say is if they’re comfortable and if that person in the [LGBTQIA+] community is comfortable, have an open discussion,” he said.
“So many people I know in the community are actually more than happy to have that chat and it’s about where their boundaries lie.
“I’m quite an open person, my partner is different, and our friends in the community are different so with the consent about talking about it I think conversations are what breaks down barriers.”
The pride month event is scheduled for 11.30 on June 21.
He said the Shire, Headspace and Holyoake had been a great support to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Mr Dunn said the group had many more events in the pipeline and he was excited about the future.
