Despite blazing heat, more than 400 groups joined the 30th annual Midsumma Pride March in St Kilda on February 2.
There was a strong union presence, chanting “We’re her, we’re queer, we’re union and we’re proud”, as well as councils, businesses and religious organisations.
Conspicuous in their absence were Victoria Police, which was unable to reach agreement with march organisers who banned marching in uniform last year.
Organisers would have allowed police to march out of uniform, as healthcare workers chose to do, but Victoria Police refused.
Transgender Victoria (TV) welcomed the decision to withdraw, but said “VicPol's response remains insensitive to the very real concerns shared by our communities”.
TV initially withdrew from the 2025 march over the inclusion of police, citing its ”long-standing commitment to advocating for improvements in police systems and practices”.
Trans rights were a major focus of the march, with chants of: “When trans kids are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”
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