The First Brisbane Pride March, 1990

On 26 June 1990, around 200 people gathered in Brisbane’s CBD for the city’s first Pride March. Walking from King George Square down Queen Street Mall, the marchers carried homemade banners and chanted for equal rights. This was a watershed moment for Brisbane’s LGBTQ+ community, coming just months after the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Queensland.

The march was organised by a coalition of community groups and was met with both support and hostility from onlookers. Police presence was heavy, but the event proceeded peacefully. Many participants later described it as the most significant moment of their lives.