WIMMERA's LGBTQI+ community are looking to step forward and celebrate for Pride Month 2022.
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Celebrated around the world by the LGBTQI+ community, Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York, a turning point for the LGBTQI+ liberation movement.
For Wimmera Pride Project chairperson Scott Robinson, Pride Month is about celebrating the wins made by the LGBTQI+ community, and the continued fight for progress.
"There is still work to be done, so it is a reminder to everyone today that there is progress to be made," he said.
"We will continue to fight for equality for everyone."
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Such fights include the push for better access to medical services across the LGBTQI+ community, which Mr Robinson said was often difficult in rural areas like Horsham.
"We often don't find medical practitioners who are knowledgeable about specific LGBTQI+ issues, particularly trans issues," he said.
"It often results in our community members having to travel long distances to find medical services that are knowledgeable and able to support them."
In the past year, the Wimmera Pride Project was also front and centre in the fight to fly the rainbow pride flag in West Wimmera for the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
It is a perfect opportunity to have more visibility in the community to say that we are here, we aren't going away and we support each other as a community.
- Scott Robinson, Wimmera Pride Project
The debate saw West Wimmera Shire Council initially vote down the idea, followed by West Wimmera Shire mayor Bruce Meyer making comments deemed problematic by the LGBTQI+ community in a radio interview with ABC Wimmera.
The pride project advocated and raised the issue with the council, resulting in the council voting to erect community flag poles in Edenhope and Kaniva for the day.
Mr Robinson said while the mayor's comments were disappointing the group were "overwhelmed" with the outcome.
"We obviously maintain that the comments the mayor made were harmful and distressing. We are overwhelmingly happy with the outcomes of that IDAHOBIT day and the community flagpole raising in Kaniva and Edenhope," he said.
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"Those are really good signs of visibility, and we were so happy that West Wimmera Shire Council had the special meeting to vote again and very happy with the results.
"They really rallied together and got that event happening in Edenhope with the pub there. There were some really good outcomes, even though it was a distressing interview that the mayor made."
To celebrate Pride Month, the Wimmera Pride Project will host a Pride Night event at Wilsons Nightclub in Horsham on July 22.
Drag queens Art Simone and Passion Couture will attend the event and perform for the evening.
Mr Robinson invited all in the LGBTQI+ community to attend.
"It is a perfect opportunity to have more visibility in the community to say that we are here, we aren't going away and we support each other as a community," he said.
"All LGBTQI+ members are welcomed and loved for who they are, and nobody needs to change."
To buy tickets to the event, visit Wimmera Pride Project's Facebook page.
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