Annex

(Email: [email protected]) Southern District Council Secretariat:

Invitation for the District Council to be the supporting organisation

The Organising Committee (the “Organising Committee”) is actively preparing for the Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020. The Organising Committee is writing to the Southern District Council to introduce the Hong Kong Pride Parade to the district councillors, to invite the Southern District Council to be the supporting organisation of “Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020”, as well as to ask for authorisation for the use of District Council emblem on promotional activities and materials and by the Organising Committee.

Introduction of the Hong Kong Pride Parade Organising Committee The Hong Kong Pride Parade Organising Committee is comprised of 5 non- governmental organisations that advocates LGBTQ+ rights in Hong Kong, including Association for Transgender Rights, Gay Harmony, Les Corner Empowerment Association, Rainbow of Hong Kong, and PrideLab. The Hong Kong Pride Parade’s vision is to “promote equal rights, opportunities and anti-discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. By showcasing the different faces of the LGBTQ+ community, it instills respect for diverse cultures in the society. We believe that the lively and bustling street parade in Hong Kong is the best public education. The Hong Kong Pride Parade is a non-profit organisation and it has created an open platform for LGBTQ+ groups and organisations to show themselves to the world and to advocate for diversity and inclusion.”

Introduction of the Hong Kong Pride Parade The Hong Kong Pride Parade was first held in 2008, apart from 2010, when it was cancelled due to financial difficulties, the Pride Parade has been organised annually. The Hong Kong Pride Parade is the largest local LGBTQ+ event in Hong Kong. It is also an important pride celebration event amongst Asia. The number of participants of the Hong Kong Pride Parade has even reached 12,000.

The Hong Kong Pride Parade hopes that through this annual large-scale event, LGBTQ+ individuals would be encouraged to show up on the streets, so that Hong Kong citizens can gain more truthful information and insight regarding LGBTQ+. Fostering direct contact between the society and LGBTQ+ groups improves the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+, which dispels prejudices and misunderstandings, and ultimately reaches the goal of equality and harmony.

The Pride Parade takes up to 2 months for preparation every year, which consists of preparatory works such as setting up promotional street booths in the 18 districts in Hong Kong, and putting up advertisements in the lightbox at MTR platforms. LGBTQ+ individuals scatter across all 18 districts in Hong Kong. Although a broad-scale public event in a single district would be able to receive extensive media coverage, it is still not enough to disperse the idea of “diversity and inclusion” in communities. The

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Organising Committee thinks that promotional activities in the communities are a pivotal element of the Hong Kong Pride Parade, not only it helps with the advocation of the Pride Parade, but it also directly brings the vision of “anti-discrimination, supporting equality” into the community.

Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020 The Hong Kong Pride Parade Organising Committee has officially informed the of our plans for hosting the “Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020” activity, but we are still awaiting for the Letter of No Objection from the Police. As of now, the details of the activity are as follows:

Date (Provisional): 14 November, 2020 Time: 3pm to 8:30pm Place: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay to , Central Details: In September, we will start to promote the Pride Parade and the concept of “diversity and inclusion” through promotional activities. On the day of the Pride Parade, sharings from prominent figures in the society will serve as the prelude at the starting point, and to bring the activity to a close, the finale at the finishing point will consist of singing and dancing performances. For more information and details regarding the activity, please refer to the Hong Kong Pride Parade’s official website (www.hkpride.net)

If you have any enquiries, feel free to contact Yeo Wai Wai from the Organising Committee at 97116992.

Jimmy Sham Tsz-Kit Hong Kong Pride Parade Organising Committee 30 April, 2020

CC: Chairman of the Southern District Council Lo Kin-hei (Email: [email protected])

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