PROMINENT Scottish drag queens Lily Minogue and RuJazzle were in Central Glasgow this week to mark the start of their journey to Shetland for the islands’ first-ever Pride Festival which takes place on Saturday.
The popular entertainers are being taken to what will be the most northerly Pride Festival in the UK by SSE Renewables, the developer of Viking Energy Wind Farm.
The renewable energy developer is one of several sponsors who were approached by organisers to help the new festival which will welcome hundreds of people including visitors from elsewhere in Scotland, Sweden and even Australia.
Lily said: “It is a real honour to be asked to perform at Shetland’s first ever Pride Festival. Drag Queens don’t travel light, so we’re making our way to Aberdeen and taking the ferry overnight. I can’t wait to take part in the Parade and I know that a warm Shetland welcome awaits us.”
Headliner RuJazzle said: “I’m beyond excited to be performing. It’s an opportunity to put on a show and have a lot of fun but also to show Shetland, Scotland and the world that all LGBTQ+ people should be welcome in our communities, whether that be at home, school, college or the workplace.”
Kerrie Meyer, founder of Shetland Pride has been planning for over a year. She said: “It is great to see one of Shetland’s prominent employers stepping up to support getting our headliners and also vital marketing.
“Folk are very supportive in Shetland, but the idea of our Pride is to show the whole community we not only exist and are here to stay, but we share the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.”
