The Pride Parade 2013 Special Awards have been announced, with the New Zealand Defence Force’s Overwatch named the Crowd Favourite and Dots Family judged the Most Fabulous. DOTS Family's fabulous float The New Zealand Marriage Equality entry won Best Political Message, while the Best Choreography went to the Pride Parade Lead Float. Express’ Segway drag queens won Best Drag or Drag Group, Pride Remembrance was ruled Most Poignant. The Gay Wakeboarding Association took out Best Unexpected. The gay wakeboarders made a splash Special Acknowledgement has been given to First Scene Float, the Body Positive Float and the DownUnderGear Marching Boys. Parade Coordinator Jonathan Smith is ecstatic with how the day went. “The parade exceeded my expectations,” he says. “It started on time, ran smoothly down Ponsonby Rd with no pauses and we had no reported incidents from the police or security. The parade is back on our strip where it belongs.” One of Smith’s highlights of the day was a lovely old lady sitting behind the barrier on her sun chair who said to him: “young man, I have been waiting 12 years for the parade to come back. I was here for every Hero Parade and will be here for every Pride Parade - I just love you gay boys.” Smith’s other highlights were the Remembrance Float, the reaction from the crowd when they saw the NZDF, the ribbon ceremony, the celebratory crowd, and its reaction both whenever he announced it was “NZ Gay Day - everyone is gay today.” He also loved the massive reaction every time the two men dressed as grooms on the marriage equality float kissed. Smith says with how well the parade ran on time there could be another eight floats added next year, bringing it up to 50. “I hope the youth really understand what the Parade is about and take over from some of us older ones,” he says of 2014. Pride Festival Coordinator Julian Cook says he is elated with the parade, which lived up to his expectations. “I was thrilled to see so many people come together to create a beautiful day in Auckland,” His personal favourite floats were the drag queens on Segways, while he adds that Buckwheat and the Love Your Condom float were stunning. The Marching Boys were popular GayNZ.com Daily News spoke to a few crowd members to get their favourite floats. Gay doctor Mike Pohl said “The Marching Boys because I'm deeply superficial,” while MC Steven Oates said “The Marriage Equality Float was great.” John Frew, the co-owner of Peaches Meanwhile, the organiser of the Body Positive float says a couple of men reacted badly to the float representing gay and bi men with HIV. One gestured to the Maori float participants and made a throat-slitting gesture, the other ostentatiously held his nose as against a bad smell and made 'go away' gestures. Otherwise, the organiser says, the spectator reaction was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 18th February 2013 - 11:15am