That’s the sentiment behind Ballarat’s inaugural gay pride march this weekend.

Ballarat’s streets will be transformed into a show of diversity and colour for the first time in history as people join together in unity for freedom and equality of the LGBTI community. 

Equal Love Ballarat convener and Event organiser Koby Bunney said the Ballarat Pride March would be the first of its kind in a regional city in Australia. 

“The difference with this march is that rather than being a protest for equal rights, it’s actually a celebration of how far we have come as a society,” he said.

“It’s part of a major pride march movement that is happening all over the world.”

He said the theme of the day was “equality and queer pride saves lives”. 

“Statistics show us the 65 per cent of gay men who grow up in regional or rural towns leave their hometown to come out,” he said.

“This is about saying, ‘we’re here, we’re queer, this is our home and we aren’t going anywhere because we are proud of who we are’.” 

Fellow organiser Kirsten Holden, who grew up in Stawell, said stigma surrounding women who are gay in rural areas was just as profound as it was for men.  

Ms Holden kept her sexuality a secret for 17 years.

But it was the death of a close family member, which inspired her to go publicly declare her sexuality live on her GRIND Radio show with Mr Bunney.  

“I knew when I was ten I was a little different but I hid it for most of my life,” she said.

“When my uncle passed away in January last year it sort of made me sit down and take stock of my life and I felt well, something needs to change here, because I am not 100 per cent happy.

“From that moment I decided I had to be who I was.”

The duo said while support for LGBTQ communities in regional area had grown significantly in recent years there was still a way to go in stamping out bigotry.  

The march across the city begin at the Sturt Street end of Camp Street at 11am on Saturday morning. People are urged to dress in rainbow colours. At the end of the march, a festival will be held at rear of Babushka bar at Humffray Street.  

There will also be a family friendly event held at the Lake Gardens Family and Entertainment Centre at 12 Gregory Street west, Lake Gardens from 1pm.