Wollongong's deputy mayor says the city should have its own float in next year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which will held during the WorldPride festival in Sydney next March.
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Councillor Tania Brown has submitted a notice of motion for Monday's council meeting, asking that staff investigate entering a Wollongong Float in the Pride March.
"Watching the most recent Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, where my children marched in the Amnesty float, I saw other places which had a presence there," Cr Brown said.
"Shellharbour has a presence, as do Sydney Uni and Newcastle Uni, and I just thought Wollongong needs to be involved in this.
"Given that it's WorldPride in 2023, that would be the time to put our hand up and get involved."
WorldPride is a global LGBTQIA+ festival that has been staged in cities including New York and Copenhagen since 2000.
Like the olympics, cities compete to host the biennial event, with Sydney beating Houston and Montreal in its bid for next year's festival.
It will be the first time a city in the southern hemisphere has hosted.
More than 500,000 people are expected to attend the 17-day program, with the NSW Government is estimating 78,000 domestic and international visitors will spend more than $100 million.
Cr Brown said she envisaged the council float would be run by partnering with community organisations.
"And when I say float, I don't mean on the back of a truck - I really just mean an entry in the march," she said.
"Certainly there would be some choreography involved, some sort of branded t-shirt and a lot of glitter."
She said having a float would align with the council's Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Policy adopted in 2020, which committed the council to creating a city where diversity is valued, and where all residents feel they belong.
"It's all about visibility and showing that ongoing support," she said.
"Being at the Mardi Gras during WorldPride would be about showing that we're a global city, and a welcoming city.
"Following on from the UCI, when the eyes of the world will be on us this September, this is just another way we can show the world wide community that Wollongong is a place to visit."
Cr Brown said she didn't know the cost to march, but said any fee could likely be covered by fundraising or an individual entry fee for participants.
Councillors will debate Cr Brown's notice of motion at Monday night's meeting, which falls during Pride Month.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
