Winter Pride Feature 2023

WELCOME TO

WINTER PRIDE

bigger THAN EVER

Rainbows at the ready... Winter Pride returns to Queenstown this week with a record 50-plus events on the calendar.

He’s heard of no problems with people finding flights or accommodation this year, as the town bounces back from Covid.

The annual 10-day bash runs from 25 August to 3 September this year, welcoming the LGBT+ community from across New Zealand, Australia and beyond, for the largest Pride festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

“All those stresses have faded away. The recovery, the staff shortages, not to mention social distancing and expecting venue visits from the health inspectorate.

Festival owner and director Martin King, as always, wants the local community to get involved with the festivities too.

“I think the biggest issue for event organisers this year is the general rise in costs across the board, and the decision on how much of that we soak up versus passing it on to our guests.

“My motto is always ‘there’s something for everyone on and off the snow’, King says.

“Trying to get the ticket pricing right is always a challenge but sales are solid.

“We have our first ever Pride Night Ski this year, which is just going to be awesome. We’ll have DJs and live drag shows up at Coronet Peak, and it is open to everyone who’s up the mountain. It’s a free event but obviously if you’re skiing, you’ll need a lift pass.

“The other stress for Queenstown is the snow, but we’re normally pretty lucky with where our festival falls. We usually get a really good snowfall before and generally quite good weather.”

“Then, all our old favourites are back, our parties, our drag shows, some awesome community events, including the Remarkables Pride Winter Market and our charity colour fun run.

“We’ve got Sweat events, which are exercise events at Queenstown Events Centre, our big snow events, including the ski parade, the onesie day, which is our big ski day - lots of colour, lots of rainbows.”

Daily on-mountain events alternate between The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Cardrona Alpine Resort, where the Pride Ski Flag Parade will be held on Saturday, 2 September, replacing the downtown Pride in the Park. The night ski is 1 September.

Then, after the snow, there are après ski drinks at venues across town each day, before the ticketed Pride Party Series, including the Opening Party - High School Reunion, the Pride Dinner, Leather & Lace and the Propaganda Snowball.

Community events include the Frothy & Friends Cabaret, the Out to Lunch Business Lunch, cocktails nights, a comedy night, the Drag Brunch Club, Pride Park Run and the winter market.

King says it’s difficult to put a finger on how many people come to town for the festival.

“We know it’s in the thousands. We generally sell somewhere in the vicinity of 7000 tickets for our ticketed events, but obviously lots of people go to multiple events.”

Guest numbers are looking strong again this year, particularly from across the Tasman. Australians tend to stay on average seven to eight nights, but many come for a full 12 days. Domestic festivalgoers stay on average five to six nights.

“Our Australian numbers are fantastic again, so the one thing we need to do is to remind locals to grab their tickets to events and get involved. Now’s the time to start planning, the schedule is online, it’s all live, and events do sell out.”

King says many attendees come year after year, meeting up with friends in Queenstown from across Australia. “It’s a pretty special time of year.

King says New Zealand doesn’t experience the same anti-trans and anti-drag movement which is taking hold in the USA. “We don’t see that at all. Fortunately, the conversation is moving in the opposite direction from the US, where there is a very well-funded and loud backlash, which is really tragic and sad.

“There are still challenges but what we see with Pride Pledge, which is obviously the sibling organisation to Pride, is more and more organisations really committed to actually making a difference.

“It continues to go from strength to strength. We’re delivering more training and more services, and working with more organisations every day.

“Yes, there are some loud voices, but they’ve always been there, and actually, they’re a real minority. Most people in New Zealand, and most organisations, are really committed to change.”

In the recent Ipsos Global Advisor | LGBT+ Pride 2023 survey, some 84% of Kiwis agreed “transgender people should be protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and access to businesses such as restaurants and stores”, the joint highest percentage of all countries.

Some 2% of Kiwis are trans, while 10% of Kiwis are lesbian/gay/ homosexual, bisexual, pansexual/omnisexual, or Asexual.

“And the other stat that came out is 61% of New Zealanders have a friend or family member who is from the LGBT+ community, the second highest in the world. That drives allyship - ‘my mate’s queer, or trans, or gay, so is my workmate, my flatmate’, so we don’t experience those phobias you see in the US. “LGBT people are visible here and connected to our communities.”

They’ll certainly be visible in Queenstown.

“It’s going to be colourful and an awesome atmosphere as usual. The street flags and the buzz will come and hopefully more snow too,” King says.

Paul Taylor

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For a number who will be in Queenstown this week for Winter Pride this is community. Some will have come from places where their existence will be Zealand there will be visitors who won’t feel safe enough to be themselve local businesses that are partners in the Pride Pledge or who just put out here.

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booking

Twenty years ago, the very first Winter Pride, then known as Gay Ski wee Apple iPad, Tik Tok, fit bits, no Instagram, actually even the iPhone was st would be 10 years until same sex marriage was legalised in New Zealand.

In other words, our little pride ski festival has been on Queenstown fest and technology change. Mike, my husband and I bought the festival back i thus changing its name to Winter Pride and that’s also proven to be an en

We’re wanting to have some fun and celebrate with our LGBTQ+ community so we’re holding some special classes during Pride Week.

RPM: Saturday 26 August at 10.15am with Aaron RPM: Monday 28 August at 7.15pm with Aaron TONE: Wednesday 30 August at 5.30pm with Jake

WELCOME TO WINTER PRID

th e e cla s

Winter Pride kicks off later this week with 50 events, ten more than last y every year. There are ski days, drag shows, games nights and free commu hopefully make new friends and have a laugh.

Winter Pride is one of Queenstown’s major festivals contributing to its ec how true that this is indeed the festival in a small town with a bold heart Queenstown!!

Visit qldc.govt.nz/groupfitness to book!

@QLDCSportRec

qldc.govt.nz/recreation

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

by QLDC Library

Embark on a WP23 literary journey with QLDC Library’s handpicked book recommendations. From enthralling fiction to enlightening non-fiction, there’s something for every reader to explore and enjoy.

30 Queer Lives: Conversations with LGBTQIA+ New Zealanders by Matt McEvoy Identity, understanding and celebration through the stories of 30 remarkable New Zealanders, 30 Queer Lives explores the lives, struggles and successes of LGBTQIA+ New Zealanders society, from north to south and from soldiers, celebrities, lawyers, drag queens, businesspeople and Olympians to farmers and fa`afafine. From the famous - Grant Robertson, Gareth Farr, Chloee Swarbrick - to the less well known, these 30 stories encourage empathy and understanding, challenge stereotypes, and offer courage and hope.

Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez An essential and revelatory coming-of-age narrative from a thrilling new voice, Rainbow Milk follows nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of his Jehovah’s Witness upbringing. A wholly original novel as tender as it is visceral, this novel is a bold reckoning with race, class, sexuality, freedom and religion across generations, time and cultures.

DE 2023

ek, was just getting started. There was no till 4 years away from being a thing and it

tival schedule and witnessed huge social in 2018 with the idea of broadening it out, normously successful step forward.

and without the broad community support me ago. Queenstown ensures visitors feel safe me that acceptance and openness is a normal part ng. In some ways it would have been nice if some of the technologies that tforms have provided a megaphone for hate and conspiracy theories that e hard-fought rights in what we see as very liberal communities.

s the one time of the year, where they will feel freedom and love across a e illegal or marginalised. Even in Australia and yes in some corners of New es at home or in their place of work. It’s one reason I am so proud of all the the pride flag out to says to the festival guest, welcome and you are safe

year, there are over 5,000 tickets sold and events will sell out like they do unity events where Queenstown locals come and have a terrific time and

conomic and cultural growth. I am immensely proud of that and proud of t, but I don’t take it for granted, none of us ever should. Now let’s Party Martin King, Director

You’re That B*tch: & Other Cute Stories About Being Unapologetically Yourself You’re That Bitch welcomes you into Bretman Rock’s world—from how his childhood in the Philippines, his family, Filipino culture, and being a first-generation immigrant helped shape him into who he is today.

Peek into how Bretman became a social media sensation at the precocious age of 14, balancing living a glamorous jet-setting lifestyle on weekends while still serving lunch at his school’s cafeteria, running as a varsity track-star, and making honor roll during the week.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn’t hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness. A whipsmart debut about three women—transgender and cisgender— whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.

Pageboy by Elliot Page Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.

PRIDE GUIDE

25th - 29th AUGUST

FRIDAY 25TH

SATURDAY 26TH

MOUNTAIN

-

Coronet Peak

SNOW EVENTS

-

Festival Opening Day

APRÈS SKI

-

Après Ski

PRIDE PARTIES

Kick Start

Opening Party

[WITH TICKETS AVAILABLE]

14 Church Street - 7pm

COMMUNITY

-

Coronet Peak - 9am

Queenstown Memorial Centre - 8pm

Speed Mixers Sofitel

Pride RPM Cycle Class

Queenstown Events Centre

EXPLORE ALL GIGs OF WINTER PRIDE | winterpride.co.nz

SUNDAY 27TH

MONDAY 28TH

TUESDAY 29TH

Cardrona

The Remarkables

Cardrona

Mountain du Jour

Pride Color Run

Mountain du Jour

Après Ski

Après Ski

Après Ski

Karaoke

Quiz Night

Western AF

SkyCity - 7:30pm

Frothy & Friends Cabaret The World Bar - 7pm

SkyCity - 7:30pm

Pride RPM Cycle Class

Queenstown Events Centre

Habana Cocktails

Habana Boutique Rum Bar

Lone Star Cafe & Bar - 9pm

Out to lunch

Business lunch Queenstown Events Centre

Habana Cocktails

Habana Boutique Rum Bar

WINTER

PRIDE All are welcome to join!

Sunday, August 27

Tuesday, August 29

M O U N TA I N DU JOUR

M O U N TA I N DU JOUR

Thursday, August 31

Saturday, September 2

ONESIE DAY

PRIDE PARADE SKI DAY