These are the images I took as an accredited event photographer at Midsumma Festival’s Pride March on Sunday 4th February, 2024. This is a free march held along Fitzroy Street, St Kilda in Naarm (so-called Melbourne). The day sees LGBTQIA+SB organisations and corporations, amongst many others, take to the streets with a party in Catani Gardens at the end of the route. Midsumma Festival is (so-called) Australia’s premier LGBTAIQ+SB arts and cultural festival.
*I am of the firm belief that there should be no cops marching at Pride. If they want to show their support, the LLO (LGBTQIA+ Liaison Officers) can do their jobs on the sidelines, protecting us for once.*
For further comment on this, please read my open letter to the Midsumma Board.
Two humans stand on either side of a Thorne Harbour Health rainbow flag.
A drag queen with short blonde wig wearing a green dress in the pattern of the Yarra Tram seat covers, and holding a green fan, smiles at the camera.
Four humans stand beside a tram. They stand two apiece on either side of a sign saying "Artwork by Phi Do (he/him)".
A human on a motorbike smiles broadly. They wear a leather vest that has a Dykes on Bykes patch on it. There are other motorcyclists behind them.
A human on a motorbike has turned around on their seat and is blowing a kiss to someone in the nearby crowd. They wear a leather vest which has the words "Cops don't belong at Pride" on the back of it.
Motorcyclists ride along the street with onlookers cheering at them. There is a large progressive pride flag flowing from the right of screen.
A human wears a keffiyah as a mask and holds a very large trans flag. Across the top blue and pink stripes are the words "No pride in apartheid" and on the left of the flag there is a red triangle pointing to the right.
A midsumma staff member in black Midsumma tee and shorts walks along, pressing an ear piece as they listen to the comms.
Two seated smiling humans raise their glasses of champagne to the camera. The human on the left has a bright streak of red in their hair and wears a grey singlet with rainbow stripes across it. The human on the right wears a dress with rainbow sequined stripes across it.
A human in a blonde coiffed wig fans themselves and smiles at the camera. They are wearing a long fancy dress in the colours of the trans pride flag and one tattooed leg is peeking through the high split.
A drag queen in a short brown wig, wearing a long top with a mouth full of lollipop printed on it, waves a Jetstar flag. Behind the drag queen a human wears a large plush airplane costume.
A human smiles at someone next to them whilst holding a large progressive pride, intersex inclusive, pride flag.
A human blows into a saxophone whilst wearing a red baseball cap with a Palestinian flag pinned to it.
The blurred backs of marchers with an in focus Palestinian flag flying above them.
A human is looking down whilst marching and holding a sign that says "Be proud. Be you."
Forest fire management Victoria humans march in their uniforms. Behind them their colleagues march whilst holding a banner that says "State forests are Great forests."
A progressive pride flag, inclusive of intersex pride, waves backwards over the faces of marchers. On the flag the words "We are union" are printed in big white letters.
Amidst a sea of marchers a cardboard sign is held above reading: "No pride in cops, no cops in pride".
Amidst a sea of marchers, including Police band members and someone raising a pride flag up high, a cardboard sign is held reading: "No pride in cops, no cops in pride".
A drag queen with short blonde wig wearing a green dress in the pattern of the Yarra Tram seat covers, smiles at the camera whilst throwing their arms out wide.
A drag queen in a yellow wig and a dress made of small glittery attachments, holds a wagasa (traditional Japanese paper umbrella) above their head as they wave at the camera.
A human in a blonde wig and fancy glittery dress smiles at the camera whilst another human fans them as they stand underneath a large rainbow umbrella.
The Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Choir are on stage wearing black tops. A Midsumma event photographer is in the foreground taking a photo of the choir.
A Midsumma event photographer wearing a black Midsumma staff tee and a rainbow bucket hat walks across a park with a huge smile on their face.
A human in a blonde coiffed wig and fancy glittery dress holds a microphone.
A human in a stripey rainbow tee rocks out on stage whilst playing a guitar.
A human in a stripey rainbow tee rocks out on stage whilst playing a guitar. Behind them a human is smiling, their bass guitar is offscreen
Close up of a human in a stripey rainbow tee rocks out on stage. The dark sunglasses they are wearing reflects the tall St Kilda palm trees.
A rock band of four humans, including the human in the rainbow stripey tee, rock out on stage whilst people in the foreground film them with their phones.
A side angle of a Midsumma event photographer on stage taking photos of the rock band who are offscreen.
The rock band of four, including a bearded guitarist and drummer with long blonde hair, and the tall photographer are on stage.
Close up of a human in a stripey rainbow tee rocks out on stage whilst playing a guitar. The dark sunglasses they are wearing reflects the tall St Kilda palm trees.