Australian LGBTQ skydivers come together with pride in a festival first

Pride Boogie over Moruya, New South Wales
Pride Boogie over Moruya, New South Wales (Photo: Richard Phillips)

Over 80 skydivers came together last weekend to take part in Australia’s first LGBTQ skydiving festival: Pride Boogie.

Australia has largely kept its coronavirus pandemic under control in recent months and is not subjected to the same sort of restrictions as those in countries such as the US and UK. It therefore allows certain public gatherings to take place.

(Photo: Richard Phillips)

Pride Boogie took place in Moruya, on the coast of New South Wales (a four-hour drive from Sydney and two hours from Canberra).

Pride Boogie was the idea of Marcus Bourget, a former chairman of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Related: Sydney Mardi Gras to double in capacity as COVID cases remain low in Australia

In a statement, he said “Pride Boogie is Mardi Gras for LGBTQIA+ adrenaline junkies. Jumping out of planes at 15,000 feet makes equals of us all as can be seen by how many straight people came together to celebrate the weekend with their queer brothers and sisters. Australian skydiving is a sport for everyone, so get involved and see what the stoke is all about.”

Watch some incredible footage below.

The event kicked off with a three-flag jump with skydivers flying the Australian, Indigenous and Pride flags to symbolize the inclusive nature of the sport, recognize the Yuin people as traditional owners of the land where the Pride Boogie took place, and mark Australia Day.

(Image: YouTube)

Following this, across the rest of the weekend, around 1,000 individual jumps took place. Another formation put together was ‘The Big Gay Way’, which consisted of jumpers coming together in the sky and flying streamers to represent the colors of the Pride Flag.

(Photo: Richard Phillips)

Straight after this, one jumper – Ebbony Bradford – took the opportunity to propose to her partner, Shana Harris!

(Photo: Richard Phillips)

Organizers say the event will become an annual gathering.

Photos © Richard Phillips

Don't forget to share:

Your support makes our travel guides possible

We believe that LGBTQ+ people deserve safe vacations that allow them to be their authentic selves. That's why our City Guides aren't locked behind a paywall. Can you contribute today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated