Thousands celebrate 35th annual Brisbane Pride March

Thousands of loud and proud marchers turned out for Brisbane Pride’s 35th annual Rally and March to cap off the city’s bumper Pride Month calendar.

On Saturday morning (September 20), an estimated 6000 people gathered in Queens Gardens in the CBD for a rousing rally before the march, hosted by Paul Wheeler and drag star Bebe Gunn (above).

Marchers travelled across Brisbane River along the same route, 35 years after the city’s first Pride in June 1990. Just one year earlier, such a march was illegal in Queensland.

Bec Johnson, who heads the new Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance, said Brisbane Pride’s legacy was supporting multiple generations of queer folk to live “visible, proud and resilient lives.”

“It’s our job to make sure the younger generations to come live well lives and carry the flame through for all queers in this state,” she said.

“Congratulations to Brisbane Pride on 35 years, with 35 more years to come as well.”

On Friday, the inaugural Carswell Forum – named for the late Queensland activist Phil Carswell – brought together community leaders, government, and advocates in a first for the festival.

Bec hosted that event and said the LGBTQIA+ Alliance is working to ensure all Queenslanders can access what Brisbane’s Pridegoers can.

“We have more work to do in regional communities, from the Tweed to the Cape, out to Mount Isa and Roma,” Bec said.

“They deserve services, they deserve visibility and they deserve pride festivals.

“It’s very important that what we have here, that all Queenslanders are afforded the same opportunities. As we progress this work, it has to be done together.”

Bec Johnson and Archie Arsenic address Brisbane Pride Rally. Images: Jordan Hirst

‘It’s thanks to them that we’re gathered here’

Brisbane performer Archie Arsenic, who is non-binary and the currently reigning Ms Queensland Leather 2025 and Mr Sporties 2025, gave a rallying cry to support and protect the trans and gender diverse community.

Archie paid tribute to their sister Aurora, “an incredible 6 foot 7 goddess of a trans woman” who has “become herself” after feeling safe enough to come out.

“The world got to see the person I always got to see behind closed doors,” Archie said.

Archie said too many trans folk from previous generations “who fought every single day to make our lives as safe as they are now” hadn’t survived to see that progress.

“It should not have to be an act of bravery to walk outside your front door,” Archie said.

“It’s still not easy. It’s still hard. But it’s up to us to keep fighting so the people we love and future generations have it easier than we do.

“The first Pride was a riot and it’s thanks to them that we get to see so many of us gathered here in celebration of our Pride and who we are.”

Brisbane Pride Fair Day is on Saturday afternoon

After the speeches, thousands of marchers travelled across the Victoria Bridge, led by the Dykes on Bikes through South Brisbane to Fair Day in Musgrave Park.

Paul Wheeler, Chocolate Boxx and Ella Ganza hosted Fair Day, with Art Simone, Paulini and Jimi the Kween headlining the live entertainment lineup.

The Brisbane Pride Festival’s Fair Day is the largest LGBTQIA+ event in Queensland and the third largest of its kind in Australia.

Brisbane Pride Festival has taken place throughout September with over 55 events, including forums, exhibitions, and performances, celebrating the theme for 2025: Many Voices. One Pride.

Earlier, Brisbane Pride formally donated to Queensland Museum a historic piece of a mile-long rainbow flag created in 2003 by the man who created the flag, Gilbert Baker.

It comes as the Queensland Museum this month launched a new queer exhibition Make A Scene: Fashioning Queer Identity and Club Culture in the ‘90s.