The event will be the first ever pride event in Brisbane’s bayside, and encourages people of all ages to attend a peaceful walk to celebrate love, kindness and equality.
“The bayside needs a pride event. There are many glorious queer people and businesses in our community who deserve to be celebrated,” Creative Director Tony Tranter says. “We strongly encourage all members of the community to come down, dress colourful and show their pride for all colours of the rainbow!”
Wynnum Fringe spreads across three weeks, which each week having its own theme. Week one is Place, week two is Pride, and week three is Power.
Not everyone is on board with the Pride celebrations, however.
Wynnum Fringe Founder and Director Tom Oliver took to social media recently to break the news that a fake flyer for the Pride March had been spotted in letterboxes around the area.
“There’s a small minority group that don’t want week two to happen,” Tom says in the Instagram Reel. “I’ve received a few messages and I’ve been aware of two letters that have currently been put in mailboxes in Wynnum and Manley that are organising a peaceful protest against the march, and now I’ve been informed of a third.”
The flyer, which appears to advertise the Bay Pride March and even displays the Wynnum Fringe logo as well as logos for the event’s actual sponsors, says ‘please bring your children’ along the top. At a quick glance it seems like a harmless, colourful advertisement for the event, but a closer look makes it clear that it’s spreading a false message about the event.
There’s a picture of a child with a ball gag, a picture of a child kissing an adult man with the words ‘kissing classes’, plus men in S&M attire with the words ‘meet and greet’.
“This has not been created by anyone at Wynnum Fringe Festival or any of our sponsors,” Tom continues. “We will be seeking legal advice and I’d like to understand who made this and who put it in the letterboxes.”
“Maybe you can help us find who this person is.”
“We will not stand down to bullying, and this is not okay.”
If you receive this flyer in your mailbox or have any information on who is responsible, reach out to Wynnum Fringe Founder and Director Tom Oliver (@tomoliver_au on Instagram).
The Wynnum Fringe Bay Pride March takes place on 26 November from Wynnum Jetty to George Clayton Park.
