Regional WA Pride events face collapse due to volunteer shortages
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Organisers in regional Western Australia are cancelling Pride events because they lack enough volunteers to run them, threatening the visibility of LGBTQI+ communities in those areas.
In Carnarvon, a town 900 kilometres north of Perth, the 2026 parade will not proceed after three years due to committee members stepping down. Similarly, Busselton has cancelled its long-running parade, choosing instead to focus on education and wellbeing programs. However, the Pilbara region shows a different outcome.
Its Pride festival has grown to attract approximately 1,500 attendees over five years, benefiting from strong community support and dedicated volunteers. Organisers believe that Pride events are vital for building connections and changing perceptions, particularly regarding transgender, gender diverse, and young LGBTQI+ people, as negative views are often formed through social media.
Johnathan Trace, a trans man who moved to Australia from the United States seeking safety, noted the difficulty of finding community spaces for discussing life experiences in regional areas. Gloria Jacob, secretary of Port Hedland Lesbian, Allies, Gays Society (PHLAGS+), highlighted the importance of providing safe spaces, particularly for young and First Nations people, and warned that a lack of support could lead to a loss of diversity as people move to cities.
