Parramatta Pride picnic day held on Sunday.
Parramatta Pride picnic day held on Sunday.
Parramatta Pride picnic day held on Sunday.
Parramatta Pride picnic day held on Sunday.
Parramatta Pride picnic day held on Sunday.
The largest annual event for western Sydney's gay and lesbian community took place in Parramatta Park on Sunday, September 16.
Organiser Gavin Prendergast said the Parramatta Pride picnic day was an important opportunity to form relationships in a part of Sydney with few such chances.
“I think that’s one of the main reasons we do it,” he said.
“There are no bars or clubs [in western Sydney] where the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) presence is strong.”
Mr Prendergast said he would like to see the community become more visible in the area.
‘‘Homophobia still exists throughout Australia … but it is a little more prevalent in western Sydney.”
This year also saw a “real rise in the amount of families” among the crowd of around 400.
Mr Prendergast said it wasn't clear whether that came from more GLBT families moving to western Sydney, the families already there feeling more comfortable, or a combination of the two.