Greater Shepparton’s OUT in the OPEN festival is back in its 11th year with two full weeks of events to celebrate LGBTIQA+ pride and community diversity.
Festival co-convener Damien Stevens-Todd said the event was about providing a safe space for the many diverse community members under the LGBTIQA+ banner, allies and supporters.
“We want all of them to have spaces to feel represented,” Mr Stevens-Todd said.
“Not just in our festival, but throughout the other 50 weeks of the year when they're not celebrating pride, to be able to go about their lives without having to experience ignorance and discrimination.
“There is still a very real need for LGBTIQA+ people to enjoy safer spaces, that are set up for and culturally safe for, LGBTIQA+ people and their friends.”
Mr Stevens-Todd, who has a daughter with husband Cris, can himself reel off experiences of stigma and discrimination diminishing his family.
“When you go to the supermarket and someone references, ‘where's mum today?’, and when you go to the doctors and they talk about your girlfriend — every day, there's this little thing chipping away at the fabric of my very valid relationship,” he said.
“I’m tough and resilient ... but irrespective of whether they’re tough or not, people quite frankly shouldn’t have to wear a shield to have to go about their daily life in case someone says something.
“That is at the core of why this festival is important — hopefully it will translate, as it has over the past 11 years, with Greater Shepparton continuing to be more inclusive and better at celebrating diversity.”
The festival launches on October 31 and runs for two weeks, with main event Carnival Day in the Queen’s Gardens on Saturday, November 12.
In week one people can enjoy dinners, morning teas, forums, radio shows, book readings and a one trans man show.
The following week will offer opportunities to connect with nature, dine with drag queens, share breakfast, rainbow storytime, clothes swaps and drinks on the rooftop of Shepparton Art Museum.
“Growing from two events in 2012 to more than 20 this year is representative of the hundreds of local organisations and stakeholders for whom LGBTIQA+ inclusion, programs and representation has become a priority,” Mr Stevens-Todd said.
The festival is family friendly with a mix of free and paid events and people are encouraged to save the dates and buy their tickets before they sell out.
“It’s going to be an amazing two weeks and this festival is an opportunity for everyone to get involved, get outside their comfort zones and make the most of what our region has to offer,” Mr Stevens-Todd said.
For the full list of events, information, tickets and festival passes visit: outintheopen.org.au