Mossel Bay to host first gay pride

The Garden Route harbour town of Mossel Bay will be hosting its very first gay Pride parade and festival from 27 November.

Dubbed Mossel Bay Penguin Pride, the four day event will feature a march through the town.

The festival will also include various pageants, a blood drive, a cocktail and pool party, a drag show and a picnic.

Organiser Rinus Marais said that the parade on Saturday 29 November will see “all races, sexes and creeds come together and join in the celebration of freedom of rights.”

He added: “Mossel Bay will be over the top, decorated throughout the main road with flags and lamp poles covered with the rainbow.”

The parade will start behind the City Hall at 1pm, move down Marsh Street and around the Point, culminating in front of Delfino’s at around 3pm.

“People in Mossel Bay have been talking about having a Pride for years till I decided enough is enough and took the courage to say ‘let’s do it’,” said Marais.

“I went to the mayor and asked her what she thought and she said ‘live and let live’. That was my cue,” he explained.

Funds generated by the festival will go towards sustaining the Seabird and Penguin Rehab Centre (SAPREC) and helping it move to a new location.

“Moving SAPREC to a bigger and better facility will not only help the organisation but will create a new tourist attraction for Mossel Bay,” said Marais.

For more information on Mossel Bay Penguin Pride, including the full programme of events, visit the website or the Facebook page.