Pink Dot ready for gay old times

Adelyn Lau

The city is set to host its largest outdoor LGBTQIA+ carnival on September 22, from 1 pm to 7 pm at the West Kowloon Cultural District's Art Park.

The annual Pink Dot Hong Kong event, held to promote diversity and inclusion in the SAR, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with free admission.

Pink Dot, the event organizer, hopes to turnout will hit 10,000 this year.

Thirty non-governmental organizations will be taking part in the carnival, including the Association for the Advancement of Feminism, Midnight Blue and Quarks.

This marks the highest number of participating organizations since the event's inception in 2014, according to Pink Dot.

Among the event's ambassadors are singers Nan Yik-pong and Chau Yan-ting and actress Lana Wong Ha-wai.

Wong, 93, has been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community.

"The most important thing between people is mutual respect," she said, encouraging the community to dismiss negativity and come together with love to foster success. "Whether it's men with men, women with women, or men and women together, it doesn't matter."

The carnival will feature a major concert with over 20 performances by local artistes, including Serrini Leung Ka-yan and transgender singer-songwriter Xavian Wu Siu-yin, also known as SY.

More than 80 booths will be set up across the venue for games, talks, worship, service introductions and sharing opportunities. Around 300 volunteers have signed up to assist that day.

A highlight will be a talk focused on educating Christian attendees about safeguarding themselves against sexual harassment, following recent allegations involving a priest at a local gay-friendly church.

Carnival director Brian Leung Siu-fai, who brought the carnival to the city from Singapore, stressed the importance of this topic alongside the event's overarching message.

Having hosted the event for 10 years, Leung has seen a significant shift in social attitudes, with many moving from indifference to open-mindedness toward the LGBTQIA+ community.

"Whether outdoors, indoors, or online, Pink Dot HK adapts to the changing times with an unwavering vision - creating a world without discrimination," Leung said.

"The more uncertain and challenging the times, the more we need to find ways to bring everyone together, to foster warmth, power, and hope for a better future."