The Sunshine Coast Pride Society and the Sunshine Coast Astronomy Club are teaming up to present Pride Under the Stars on June 7.
The event blends science, diversity, and queer joy into an evening at the Sunshine Coast Observatory, at 4480 Hilltop Road in Wilson Creek.
Coast-based filmmaker Charles Ennis (and past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada) will screen The Stars Belong to Everyone, his documentary that celebrates diversity in the fields of math, science and technology. Ennis’s work surveys the lives of scientific pioneers and 2SLGBTQAI+ explorers who pushed the boundaries of space and identity.
Following the film, a show-stopping drag spectacular (rated PG-13) hosted by iconic performer Davis Gay will bring a constellation of heavenly bodies into focus: Manly Nipkiss, Randy Darlin’, and fierce newcomer Ryan Ginger.
“This drag show is sure to be out of this world,” predicted Laurel Ennis, a member of the astronomy club. Ennis also acknowledged that the event is being held on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional lands of the shíshálh First Nation.
Afterward, attendees will be guided by club members to gaze at galaxies, distant stars and planetary orbs visible through their telescopes. DJ E-List will be spinning tunes all night long.
The venue opens at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 7, and the show starts at 9 p.m. All proceeds support the Sunshine Coast Pride Society and Sunshine Coast Astronomy. Admissions (by donation) can be secured online via eventbrite.ca/e/910631602637.
Refreshments will be available; the event is a non-alcoholic one. Visitors should bring their own camping chair or blanket for watching the meteor shower.
