Big Gay Out, Aotearoa’s largest and most anticipated pride event, took place this past Sunday, February 16th, at Coyle Park in Auckland. Every year, this vibrant celebration attracts around 10,000 people, creating a joyful space for the rainbow community to gather, connect, and express themselves openly. It serves as an important time to celebrate identity and diversity, offering a moment of collective freedom, especially significant given the ongoing challenges and anxieties faced by members of the rainbow community.
This year, Positive Women Inc. continues the collaboration with the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa and Toitū te Ao, as we worked together to provide free HIV and syphilis tests to ensure that sexual health remained a priority within the celebration. Auckland Sexual Health also joined the initiative, offering general sexual health testing and Mpox vaccinations to help protect people in the community.
Our colleague, Benji, represented Positive Women Inc. and played an integral role in providing testing services at the event. Positive Women Inc. tested a total of 22 individuals on the day. In total, the partnership between these organisations resulted in close to 100 tests conducted, with Auckland Sexual Health at one point running out of Mpox vaccines due to high demand. This underscored the importance of such services and the eagerness of the community to access vital HIV testing during a significant event like Big Gay Out.
As always, Big Gay Out serves as both a joyful celebration and a reminder of the ongoing need for HIV service access, support, and advocacy within Aotearoa New Zealand. The partnerships with all the organisations at this event play a crucial role in empowering people and ensuring they have access to the resources they need to thrive.
