A handful of diverse and colourful characters populate the cartoon logo for Auckland's Pride '09 Festival. Now at last we can reveal their true identities! We begin on the left with a very Urge bar-style leather man. Bears and cubs we spoke to all agreed it was very easy to identify which one of their number is pictured here though - no-one else wears BRIGHT RED leather! Step forward Paul AKA 'Squirty Bear' - the organiser of the NZ Bears group: At first glance, you might well think the next cartoon character is a man. But hang on! Who else is always seen in a cowboy hat? Hello, Garnet Station café's Lisa Prager: Hmmm… a drag queen in the middle, but which one? Head-dress, epic eyelashes, magenta wig done in retro style… could it be Vera (Peter Taylor) from Dorothy's Sister bar? Next is a lovely lesbian couple. We initially thought it was Takataapui TV producer Claudette Hauiti and her lovely wife Nadine Mau (now called the Hauiti-Mau's!) but then we saw this picture of Flirt's Sarah Lambourne and her partner Kelvery Longopoa - and it reminded us once again of who's in charge of lezzie nightlife in this city! Lastly… oh wow… just look at those big arms. And that tan. Swoon! It must be the NZ AIDS Foundation's Ben Barratt-Boyes, seen here shaking his bucket around town: Cool, so that's sorted then. But hang on! Surely there's someone missing? Someone who's always in our photos? Look again: Thanks to Chris Olwage for stepping in at the last moment to save Pride '09's logo. That's a wrap everyone, thanks for your time and see you all at the Big Gay Out this Sunday! Matt Akersten - 3rd February 2009