Eighth gay pride festival set to rock

16 Feb 2008- Cape Town South Africa- The Cape Town's pink community is gearing up for another Cape Town Pride Festival as revellers from across the country descend on the city for 11 days of entertainment and education next weekend.

To kick off the eighth festival, Mr and Miss Gay Pride will be crowned at a pageant at the new fashion venue, The Runway in Woodstock this Saturday night.

The festival officially starts next Friday and there will be parties, parades, picnics, seminars, drag shows and other sporting cultural events until March 2.

Ian Mc Mahon, Cape Town Pride chairperson, said the event had grown rapidly since its inception in 2001.

He said the festival attracted about 10 000 people and said they were expecting bigger numbers this year.

"We plan to grow Cape Town Pride until it reaches the same magnitude of the Sydney Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras, and we plan to do this by 2011.

"Our objective is to raise funds for our beneficiary, the Pride Shelter Trust, but also to communicate peace, respect, love and understanding through our culture that is fabulously gay."

The annual street parade, this year called the Heroes' Parade, will take place on March 1 near the Prestwich School at the bottom end of Napier Street.

Some of this year's features at the festival include "The Return of the Divas" at On Broadway next Monday, February 25, which stars some the city's most notorious drag artists.

The Pride Book Fair will open on the Sunday, March 2, at The Book Lounge in Roeland Street.

The Pride Art Exhibition takes place at the Artscape Theatre Foyer from February 26 - March 2 and includes the "Heroes Gallery" Photographic Exhibition.

Discussions will take place at seminars focusing on the issues such as gay marriages, relationship issues, gay families and positive imagery with speakers such as Treatment Action Campaign head Zackie Achmat.

The Pride Shelter Trust is a non-profit organisation established by Cape Town Pride with the aim of managing a shelter offering short-term safe accommodation to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Cape Town during times of crisis.

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