Spotlight on Margi Pride: Supporting the LGBTQAI+ Community in Augusta Margaret River.

In this article, we will take a closer look at Margi Pride, a local LGBTQAI+ community group dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive space in the Augusta Margaret River region. Through their advocacy, events, and social gatherings, Margi Pride fosters awareness and builds strong connections within the community. We spoke with one of their board members to explore the organisation’s mission, values, and the vital role they play in promoting mental health and community engagement. Read on to discover how Margi Pride is making an impact and how you can get involved.

Can you tell us about yourself, your role and some of Margi Pride’s core missions?
My name is Ashlee, co-founder and chair of Margi Pride. My role involves coordinating our crew, putting together events, running social media, and working to make sure everyone is happy and feeling good in each of their roles. The dream for Margi Pride is to continue to evolve and grow to meet the varying needs of our rainbow family in our rural town.
Currently we work towards creating an event calendar for 2025 where people can meet each other, chat and forge friendships. Being in a smaller town, there’s not too many spaces that you can just go to meet up with your people. We are trying to create events in safe spaces where people can meet up and hang out together, chat and just be.
This pride month we’ve got a few different events lined up. Birds and Banter combines one of our crews’ passions with an opportunity to socialise as well. On the 21st we have a pride and paint where we will be collaborating with Chloe Wilder to create some pieces that will be auctioned off and profits being donated to Margi Pride. To round out the month we will get together at Surfers Point on the 28th for a sunset picnic.

What services or support does Margi Pride provide for the LGBTQ+ community in the Margaret River region?
Ultimately, we are looking to provide safe spaces and varied events that should hopefully mean people can connect with one another and find their people in a town where it might not be as easy as some of the bigger cities.
Currently Margi Pride is working towards creating a yearly calendar of events. I would say our events are sporadic and based on our team’s capacity to facilitate and hold these outsides of our day to day lives. As the committee grows and as we discover the different interests of people, so do our events.

What are the key values that drive Margi Pride, and how do they reflect in your community outreach and events?
Community. Celebrate. Educate.
We are looking to create community, celebrate ourselves and continuously learn as we grow. We are believers of ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’, so visibility is important for us.
We have varied upbringings, some of us growing up in small towns others in cities, and one thing that has been consistent with our meetings and discussions is the importance of having a pride group that is available for those that need it.

In what ways can the local community of Margaret River get involved and support Margi Pride’s efforts?
We are mostly volunteer run, and so the time that people have is limited as we have other life commitments. We are looking for volunteers, donations for craft materials, donations of space. Honestly, please reach out to us directly on our social media or our email if you have any ideas or questions about how to collaborate. We are always up for a chat and looking to make connections with people and organisations that want to get involved. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and we can find a way to work together!

How has Margi Pride impacted the local community, and what are your future goals for growing this impact?
Our main reason for starting Margi Pride was to make connections and friends with like minds, and when I look around at the committee, the people that attend and the friends that we have all made, I feel like we are nailing it. I have a beautiful array of people in my life since being involved in Margi Pride. Our initial event goals, where as long as one person comes along, makes a connection and smiles, then our job is done. For the future, we would like to have an annual celebration that becomes a weekend long affair, encouraging people from all over the Southwest to come along and celebrate. We would like to move into some more advocacy work when we have the capacity to, and just keep celebrating pride in Margaret River. 
To get involved with Margi Pride and see what events they have coming up please visit their social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/Margiprideinc/
https://www.instagram.com/margiprideinc/
Or email them on: margaretriverpride@gmail.com