Joburg's gay pride week comes of age this year, when it celebrates the 18th birthday of the Joburg Pride Parade. The party is happening at Zoo Lake this weekend.

Colourful and outrageous costumes will be seen in the Joburg Gay Pride Parade

A COLOURFUL parade takes to the streets of the northern suburbs this weekend when the Joburg Pride Parade sets off from Zoo Lake and circles the Rosebank shopping precinct.

Gay Pride Week is a busy time for the gay and lesbian community – it's an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex identity and sexual diversity, and the largest gay event on the African continent.

And then, on Saturday, 6 October the 18th annual Joburg Gay Pride Festival, sponsored by the City of Joburg, takes place from 10am at the Zoo Lake Sports Club. The parade begins and ends at the sports club, and from 1pm the Party in the Park begins, to end at 5pm.

It moves from Zoo Lake along Jan Smuts Avenue, up Jellicoe Avenue, along Oxford Road, back down Bolton Road, and along Jan Smuts Avenue back to Zoo Lake.

At the first gay pride parade in 1990 fewer than 1 000 people showed up, with some wearing paper bags over their heads to mask their identity. But it has grown considerably since then – in 2003 some 20 000 people turned up.

"While the event has become less political and more celebratory in nature, Pride remains, at its core, a call for gay and lesbian equality and a recognition of our nation's rich diversity," reads the Joburg Pride website.

This year, in response to mismanagement claims, a section 21 company was established, with new organisers. They aim to rehabilitate the event and "create a world-class pride celebration".

The week kicked off on Thursday, 27 September with the Pride Film Festival at Cinema Nouveau in Rosebank. It includes events such as an art exhibition, "real drag" racing, a cabaret show, a black tie fundraising event, a theatre production and seminars and workshops.

Friday was party day, with two bashes in Braamfontein, one in Norwood and one in Bryanston. Saturday was party day again, this time in Melville, Northwold and Rosebank.

Also on Saturday, the Soweto Pride and March happened at the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village in Central Western Jabavu in Soweto.

But it's not all partying – on Monday a workshop entitled Sexual and Mental Health took place at Constitution Hill.

And it's not too late to catch up with the action. More workshops are happening at Constitution Hill during the rest of the week; the film festival continues; and there is sport and theatre. Get all the details here.

Joburg Pride
FOR more information on Joburg Pride and Joburg Pride Week, click here.