Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival
pink loerie mardi gras art festival annual lgbtq pride carnival event parade held knysna coastal township western cape province south africa event include version wigstock drag queen festival bear fest athletic event art festival one country largest lgbtq event since start grown significant event town culminating grand finale pink loerie knysna pride parade person afterparty held final weekend float performer dj knysna loerie green bird color pink long association lgbtq culture pink loerie traditionally held late april early may moved late may festivity cancelled due covid coronavirus pandemic announced mr gay world mr gay star event held conjunction pink loerie event knysna port elizabeth according sowetan live magazine knysna township destination expansive lagoon indigenous forest surrounded outeniqua mountain range heart popular garden route local economy geared towards tourism including ecotourism area main local specialty oyster pink loerie started local businessmen entice tourist town traditionally slow month may reinvigorate economy south africa arguably liberal constitution lgbtqi people still overcome homophobia reticence lgbtq people visit according pink loerie group homophobia antilgbtq attitude introduced african continent colonialism samesex relationship quite common africa prior colonialism human right watch hrw say antigay stigma often come colonialera law africa lgbtq tourism estimated worth billion year knysna loerie green bird color pink long association lgbtq culture pink loerie mardi gras art festival annual lgbtq pride carnival event parade held knysna coastal township western cape province south africa since start grown significant event town culminating knysna pride parade madrid gras pink loerie first celebrated may groundbreaking country way organiser worked town knysna put annual lgbtq art culture festival early year organiser envisioned event would emulate pride event celebrating diversity next evolution host parade akin famous sydney mardi gras juan lermhoffman one cofounder also cofounded mr gay south africa wrote pink loerie mardi gras born benefit town knysna create platform entire lgbti community celebrate culture diversity within raise money various charity last least use mardi gras ‘tool’ educate mass gay community gay culture difficulty within culture promote tolerance understanding lermhoffman grew eastern cape province ran pink loerie new organizer took pink loerie estimated visitor estimated people watched parade visitor spent weekend township attendance estimated people pink loerie organizes fundraising like vip dinner silent auction charity like oldage home animal welfare others raising thousand rand grand finale pink loerie knysna pride parade person afterparty held final weekend float performer dj international attention focused knysna mr gay world mr gay world held part pink loerie mr gay world pink loerie coincide township africa first mass samesex wedding took place sixteen couple wed pink loerie event include version wigstock drag queen festival bear fest athletic event art festival knysna fires—where seven people killed home burned down—pink loerie pink loerie foundation raised fund procured relief item family distress pink loerie benefit recovery effort pink loerie foundation received community outreach award annual fm eastwave radio nelson mandela international day community leadership award contribution work knysna fire greater knysna area theme sequin mascara pink loerie traditionally held late aprilearly may moved late may event postponed due shortage preevent sponsor restructured hope future event would grow even larger festivity cancelled due covid coronavirus pandemic announced mr gay world mr gay star event held conjunction pink loerie event knysna port elizabeth one country largest lgbtq event people may johnlouis o’neil pink loerie organizer image pink loerie festival secure fund partnership sponsor often pay ad become pink loerie magazine plm started small one color guide booklet evolved full color newspaper eventually registered glossy full color magazine event traditionally raised much sponsorship possible including support knysna tourism town council expense paid remaining thousand split named charity r equivalent raised three charity r knysna animal welfare society r loeriehof old age home r knysna mayor social relief fund international lgbtq travel association httpwwwpinkloeriecoza official website