New name and new date for Pride in Bangkok
Friday, April 07, 2006
This year, something new and exciting is coming from Bangkok's GLBT community. It's "Pride Festival – Bangkok Together 2006".
“Pride Festival” - that is the new name for this year's GLBT Pride events, set for October 28 - November 5 in and around Bangkok. The theme of the Festival is ‘Bangkok Together 2006’ and the new goal is to bring everyone together by increasing community participation of friends and families and showing the broad diversity of the Thai GLBT community.
The new name for the organizing group is Pride Festival Organization (PFO) with a management structure more like similar Thai community groups. The new Executive Committee - now with a majority of Thai people - will assure diversity of representation and appropriateness of planning and activities.
“We're making changes to the traditional GLBT Pride week in Bangkok. These changes are in response to the community,” said Khun Nikorn Arthit, 2006 Chairperson for Pride Festival. “Above all, the Festival goals are to have the Pride week celebration presented in a Thai way and be responsive to the many different types of people who make up the Thai GLBT community.”
The Executive Committee’s first working session was March 9 and set up committees to plan for the 2006 Festival. The meeting was lively with many new ideas for making this year's events better and more appealing to the broader GLBT community as well as the public.
The new dates, October 28 - November 5, include the traditional celebrations of both Halloween and Loy Krathong, too.
This year, PFO will educate as well as entertain with the addition of educational seminars during Pride Festival - Bangkok Together 2006. Topics being considered include Coming out in Thailand, History of homosexuality in Thailand and the Greater Mekong, and HIV/AIDS among MSM in Thailand. Anyone with ideas and expertise is welcome to send their ideas to the Festival Committee.
As in years past, art exhibits by GLBT artists and a film festival of GLBT movies, both Thai and international, are being planned.
The Committee is open to suggestions for Pride Festival – Bangkok Together 2006 and anyone wishing to volunteer or businesses that would like become a sponsor of the Festival this year, please visit our website at www.pridefestival.org or send an email to info@pridefestival.org.
About Pride Festival Organization: an organizer of Pride Festival, a not-for-profit, all whom who work are volunteer organization that produces entertainment, education and informational events to promote a positive image of the gay, lesbian and transgender community in Thailand, and raises money for needy Thai charities. The English language equivalent of the Pride Festival Thai language theme is “Bangkok Together 2006”, and recognizes the great diversity in Thailand’s gay lesbian and transgender communities. Information on Pride Festival Organization and Pride Festival can found at www.PrideFestival.org.
For further information, please contact:
Tom Van Blarcom / Thanitsak Pithaksinakon
TQPR (Thailand)
Tel: +66(0)-2260-5820 Ext. 122; +66(0)-9156-4728
Fax: +66(0)-2260-5848
Email: tqprthai@tqpr.com
Or Richard St-Laurent
Spokesperson (English)
Pride Festival Organization
Tel: 66(0)-1907-5560
Email: richard@pridefestival.org
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