June is Pride Month in North Sydney, with Council hosting a mix of community celebrations and creative experiences.
A highlight of the month is the Pride Picnic, on Sunday 14 June from 12pm to 4pm at Ted Mack Civic Park. The free, family friendly event will feature live music, drag performances, food trucks and free activities including face-painting, tarot reading and a photo booth.
Picnic-goers can also visit The Rainbow Shoelace Project stall to receive free signature beads, with the Project’s founder Abbie Jane leading a story time during the event.
Council has commissioned a major new creative project celebrating the diversity and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people connected to North Sydney.
Led by artists Anna Hay and Sophie Willison, Be Seen: Portraits of Queer North Sydney, invited participants to be photographed at locations of personal significance, from homes and familiar streets to other places meaningful to their queer experience. Alongside each portrait, participants recorded a short audio reflection capturing their connection to place.
Together, the portraits and narratives form a living archive of queer life in North Sydney, exploring identity, memory and belonging. The final works will be presented at the North Sydney Pride Picnic on Sunday 14 June and exhibited in the In Transit Gallery Space at North Sydney Council Chambers.
Stanton Library will a host a Young Adult ‘Ask Me Anything’ Pride Panel for readers aged 15–35 on Thursday 25 June 6pm to 8pm. Moderated by Sydney drag artist Carmen Geddit, the event brings together award-winning Australian YA authors including Erin Gough, Gary Lonesborough, Jeremy Lachlan, Sasha Vey and Will Kostakis to discuss growing up queer, writing young adult fiction and the importance of representation and community.
Mayor Zoë Baker said Pride Month is about creating space for people to be seen, heard and valued.
“Pride is more than a celebration. It’s a statement of belonging,” Mayor Baker said.
“It creates space for visibility, for storytelling and for people of all ages, identities and backgrounds to come together in solidarity, joy and connection.”
North Sydney Council Chambers will be lit in rainbow colours throughout June, reflecting council’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.