Devotion: Wellington’s first Pride Parade

The saying goes that ‘the first Pride was a riot!’ - a cheeky truism that references the Stonewall riots of 1969. But in Wellington? The first Pride was also a party.

This is very much to do with timing. Aotearoa’s first ever Pride, ‘Gay Day’, took place in Auckland, in 1972, when homosexuality was still a criminal offence in New Zealand. It was just a few short years after Stonewall and the mood was firmly rooted in the kaupapa of gay liberation. Activists gathered under the Albert Park statue of Queen Victoria and were broadcast chanting “will Victorian morality ever die?” in front of a jeering crowd.

Meanwhile, the origins of the Wellington Pride festival and parade can be traced back to the Gay and Lesbian Fair, which began in 1986 as community advocacy for the Homosexual Law Reform campaign, and the ‘Devotion’ Festival in 1991, which was held five years after the Reform Act had passed. Although the reforms marked an important step forward for queer rights in Aotearoa, political and social opposition were still rife, there was ongoing moral panic fuelled by the AIDS crisis, and it was still legal to discriminate on the basis of sexuality until the passing of the Human Rights Act 1993.

It was into this context that the Devotion Festival was born. Organised initially by Peter Beardsley of the New Zealand AIDS foundation (NZAF) in 1991, the event was conceived as a way to bring the community together in a time of crisis and raise funds for the NZAF Awhina centre.  

This resulted in a dusk 'til dawn dance party in Shed 21 on the waterfront by 1992, which took a DIY, community-volunteer-led approach to staging and décor, and featured a glamorous array of artists, musicians and drag performers across the stage shows. The event proved hugely popular, with the large venue packed “shoulder to shoulder” on the dance floor.

As documented in the 1993 parade’s correspondence, Wellington City Council approved Devotion’s request to hold a parade as part of the festivities. Attendees would assemble in Bunny Street, then proceed to Civic Square for a short rally. The procession would incorporate a float, classic cars, musicians, a sound system, and travel accommodations for attendees who were living with AIDS. The theme was articulated as follows:

“The theme of the parade is ‘Love’, that all love is good love, and that love is what connects us all.”

Although Pride in Wellington has moved through various iterations, from Out in the Park to Pride Hīkoi, it carries the mahi of these predecessors, celebrating, representing, and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.