Christchurch Pride Month: Exploring Queer Spirituality and Embodied Wellbeing

Photo: Unsplash (Raphael Renter)

March marked the start of Pride Month here in Christchurch, with drag shows, crafternoons and wellbeing workshops just a few of the events scheduled for the month. 

This year is Christchurch Pride’s 53rd year celebrating queer visibility, with the first Gay Pride Week held here in 1973.  

Bee, of Wellness Nomadz, ran a Queer Spirituality and Embodied Wellbeing workshop, Reclaiming the Body, which brought members of the LGBTQIA+ community together to strengthen their connection to their sense of self.  

The workshop fostered a supportive environment exploring ideas of identity, spirituality, and the ways societal expectations can influence how people view their own bodies.  

“Christchurch Pride events create spaces where the LGBTQIA+ community can gather, be visible and feel a sense of belonging”, Bee said.  

Bee (left) and Sam (right) of Wellness Nomadz. Photo: Supplied.

Wellness Nomadz is a community-led platform offering workshops on embodied, holistic, and shared wellbeing. Their workshops provide spaces for everyone, no matter where they are in their wellness journey. 

Bee said Christchurch Pride events bring together people from different backgrounds and walks of life, celebrating identities that, for many years, were “pushed to the margins”. 

Reclaiming the Body looked at “who is in the driver’s seat” of each individual, encouraging attendees to look beyond the “machine” that is the human body.  

Bee spoke about their experience growing up as a queer person in a traditional Christian household, sharing how they overcame challenges with their mental health and used spirituality as a healing mechanism. 

Their goal for the workshop was for attendees to walk away with “hope”. Hope that they too can become comfortable, present, and proud of their own identities.  

“Our communities have always existed, but events like Pride help move society from simply tolerating or quietly accepting LGBTQIA+ identities to acknowledging and celebrating them,” Bee said.  

Throughout March, Christchurch Pride has a range of events scheduled, from drag shows and watch parties to book clubs and youth events.  

“These events benefit the rainbow community by increasing visibility and awareness, they offer opportunities for people to meet, share experiences, and feel supported in who they are,” Bee said.  

As Christchurch Pride enters its 53rd year, events like Reclaiming the Body continue to create safe spaces where queer visibility is celebrated.