Annie (she/her)
Albany Pride President
Annie defies explanation. She is our President, the creator of Albany Pride. The magic maker. The glue that binds us. She is an efficient event organiser, a decisive leader, and a bloody wonderful human being!
We asked Annie what she is most looking forward to during this years festival:
“I love our festival – it’s obvs the best time of the year in Albany!
I love how it grows and grows each year, with old favourites returning and plenty of new events to choose from.
I love how diverse the line up is this year: I mean, we have the Albany Entertainment Centre hosting a lesbian opera!!! I can’t wait for that, and our Festival Queen Barbie Q doing Dolly Parton will be so fun!
I’m also really looking forward to our very first official Noongar welcome to the Festival up on Mt Clarence- I think that will be a very special event opening.
It’s so huge this year I will really struggle to choose what to attend and wish I could just attend them all!”
Simone (she/they)
Fairday Coordinator
Simone learnt the ropes last year and she is now flying solo, expertly putting together Fairday, our festival within a festival!
They have proven they have a heart of gold, a free spirit with strong convictions. With years of experience in event planning and activism, Simone is a powerful addition to our festival committee.
We asked Simone what they were looking forward to the most at this years festival:
“Pride to me means acceptance of ourselves and others. I’m looking forward to seeing families (and dogs!) out and about in the centre of Albany on Fairday, as well as dancing the night away with friends that night at the Spank dance party!”
Millie (she/her)
Festival Coordinator
Meet Millie! This brilliant babe is the beating heart of the Albany Pride Festival, our Festival Coordinator. While we’re not sure who’s actually boss, the Festival or Millie, we know it’s a match made in Queer heaven!
We asked Millie what she is most looking forward to at this years festival:
“I am really excited about our first ever exhibition events with Crooked Images, Verity Byth and Annette Carmichael. I love a chance to dance so I am thrilled to have DJ Yanique hosting TWO Spank parties Spank for us, and I’m living for the talented babes from the Twerk Noir team thrilled to get to see them in action.
I adore everything Barbie Q ever does and can’t wait to see her serving Dolly Parton. Skye Scraper is a welcome newcomer to Albany Pride, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what hilarity she has to offer. Finally, last years Pride in Diversity training was outstanding, so I’m so glad we have Alyce coming back”
Tiger (they/them)
Media Coordinator
The most famous of the bunch, Tiger is the graphic designer of our dreams, taking our half formed ideas and turning them into aesthetic magic.
Tiger is responsible for every piece of digital art we have as well as designing and maintaining our websites.
They are also our spokesperson, responsible for all media liaison. Which is an absolute godsend for the rest of us because in addition to being very funny, Tiger is incredibly smart, and they make us sound so good.
We asked Tiger what Albany Pride means to them:
“I love Albany Pride from the bottom of my heart, and I think our biggest achievement is the sense of community we’ve helped create. It’s genuinely such a joy, and as clichéd as it sounds, it feels like I’m part of a wonderful (and ever expanding) Queer family down here: having had spent my teenage years in Albany/Kinjarling, I still pinch myself at times that this community even exists! But now, I couldn’t imagine my life without this community and the sense of belonging it gives me.
It feels as if I’m consistently meeting up with old friends whilst making new ones, and I think that sense of community is quite rare and something to be cherished – and of course, it wouldn’t happen without our community itself.
I couldn’t write this without mentioning all the hard-work, discussion, planning, and effort that goes on behind the scenes at Albany Pride to put on all the social events and support groups we run throughout the year, not to mention the mammoth undertaking which is the Pride Festival!
I’m constantly in awe by their dedication and resolve, and it’s such a privilege to work with such wonderful people to make these things happen.
I love them all with immense vigour! (I think I’ve blown a sufficient amount of smoke up their arses now, right?).
p.s. I’m getting increasingly bad at remembering faces and names – so if I look as if I’ve forgotten either or we haven’t seen each other in a while, remind me! Thanks x”
Darren (he/him)
Albany Pride Treasurer
Our Daz (or as he is affectionately known, Cash Daddy), the least likely to get ahead of himself, he keeps our feet on the ground and our coffers full.
He tolerates our ever growing festival vision and works hard to make sure we can achieve it, and we forever appreciate his tenacity.
We asked Darren what he was most looking forward to for this festival:
“I am looking forward to catching up with friends and chosen family. The Community Picnic is always a winner”
Hannah (she/her)
Volunteer Coordinator
Meet Hannah! Our gorgeous Volunteer Coordinator and event organiser. She continues to draw people to us like a magnet with her kindness and genuine care and her eye for event vibes is impeccable.
We asked Hannah what she was most looking forward to for this years festival:
“The thing I am most looking forward to during the Festival this year is that beautiful buzzy moment when the events are filling with guests and we are all sharing Queer Space. That is absolutely one of my happy places”
Jasmine (she/her)
Sports Coordinator
Ooh a new position! Jasmine has come on board this year officially as our Sports Coordinator.
Being a sportsy type herself and invested in multiple local sporting pursuits she was perfect for this job. She has already been involved in Albany Pride for a few years, repping the Bi+ community by running the annual Bi+ picnic and we are so glad she has been keen to take on a larger role!
We asked Jasmine what she was most looking forward to for the 2024 festival:
“I love the way the Albany Pride Festival brings the LGBTQIA+ community and allies together from all corners of WA and beyond to beautiful Menang Noongar Country. It’s an amazing opportunity for connection, fun and adventure along the Rainbow Coast, celebrating diversity, visibility and inclusivity with an exciting array of events to choose from. Albany Pride Festival just gets better and better.
Highlights of the Festival for me this year will be joining in the action of coordinated sports events, such as running in the Mt Clarence parkrun as a member of both the Perth Frontrunners and Albany Athletics Club, and trying my first ever game of kickball with Emerald City Kickball Perth and friends. I’m also looking forward to the Festival’s first official Noongar Welcome by respected local Menang Elder Vernice Gillies, testing my brain at Trivia with the queens at Premier Hotel, dancing the night away at the Spank Dance Party with DJ Yan, and chilling out at the Bi+ Picnic at Binalup (Middleton Beach). It’s going to be an epic 12 days!”
Nicola (she/her)
Social Media Coordinator
Meet Nicola! The legend responsible for breathing life into our socials.
Owner of H Virtual Assistants, she is bringing her organisational energy and we LOVE it!
It’s only been a hot minute and we already don’t know what we would do without her.
We asked Nicola what she loves about Albany Pride:
“I am thrilled to be part of the Albany Pride Festival in 2024 because it provides a vibrant platform for celebrating diversity, fostering inclusivity, and promoting love and acceptance within our community. The festival’s commitment to creating a safe and joyous space for all, coupled with its empowering atmosphere, fuels my excitement to contribute to a memorable and meaningful celebration of pride and unity.”
Karen (she/her)
Executive Officer
Meet Karen, our Executive Officer, media and marketing guru and one of our hardworking event organisers.
Everyone that knows her (and that is a LOT of you) would agree, she is everything, everywhere, all at once, and we are SO lucky she keeps actually deciding to hang out with us.
We asked Karen what she is most looking forward to for this years festival:
“Three years ago I slipped through the looking glass and into the Albany Pride Festival planning world. Over time, I learned the inhabitants of this world were warm, welcoming, kind and passionate about helping their fellow community members.
Many actually exhibit signs of having seriously enlarged hearts as a result of their dedication to making things better for others. They took me in and invested their faith in my willingness to help until, after around 36 months, I realised I had the strength to take a solo flight. This year, I’m stretching my wings and taking a bird’s eye view of this wonderful festival. With almost 40 events on offer, I’m going to be facing total exhaustion if I try to attend all the events that I think sound fantastic!
I’m super excited about our Members & VIP Community Bank Albany Launch event, I can’t wait to see the Albany Entertainment Centre bring The Priestess of Morphine to the stage and I’m looking forward to a clay hand-building event with The Village, the Great Southern’s newest community arts group. Hope to see you there!”
Karina (she/her)
Ticketing Coordinator, Insurance Coordinator
Every team needs a Karina! This quiet achiever is a pillar of Albany Pride, she has been with us since the beginning in various roles, and for the last few years she has excelled as our ticket master and insurance guru.
We asked Karina what she is looking forward to the most this year:
“How do I choose?! One of my all time faves each year is seeing the heart of our city decked out with Pride and our major landmarks illuminated with rainbows!! I can’t wait to take a drive down York Street and to see the Amity, the Town Hall, the CBH Silos and the AEC illuminated with rainbows during the festival!!
I am also especially looking forward to our first official Welcome to Country to open our festival by Noongar Elder Vernice Gillies – this will be a special moment indeed. Wishing everyone a happy and fabulous Albany Pride 2024!!”
