Wellington holds first official Pride Parade in decades

Wellington held its first official Pride Parade in decades with many choosing to embrace their diversity and discuss issues facing the community.

It was fun, flamboyant, and of course, fabulous.

Donning wigs and drag costumes, more than 1500 Wellingtonians took to the streets.

"Ahh it's so exciting it's just amazing to see how far we've come," says organiser Adrienne Girling.

The capital hasn't hosted an official Pride Parade since the early 1990s.

Many of these party-goers instead forced to head to Auckland or Sydney for "their" events.

But on Saturday, the streets of Wellington were sparkling.

In recent years, there's been a growing acceptance of homosexuality and the rights of transgender people.

But organisers today acknowledging they still have plenty to fight for.

"We have a long way to go to still with gender identity and transgender rights, intersex rights and just being recognised for having those different identities," Ms Girling says.

The organisers say the event is about visibility and being able to show who you are in the community.

Among many issues discussed during the event - one stands out.

Questions over whether compensation should be considered for historical homosexual convictions.

So, while these events reflect a growing acceptance - many feel those who weren't as fortunate should receive a proper acknowledgement, and more than an apology.

Newshub.