Thorpe told 9news.com.au what it means to him to see an event of this scale land in the city, how he’ll be marking the occasion and where he’d like to see the most growth moving forward.
“So, for people who don’t know, this is probably the largest event that Sydney has hosted since the Olympic Games,” Thorpe, who also serves as Optus’ Champion of Diversity and Inclusion, well-being and sustainability, said.
“And I think post-COVID, we’re at a point where we want to see more of these things in Sydney.
“I also think that in a country that is so accepting of the gay community, to be able to celebrate in this way, it’s really important.
“The visibility part of it? If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.
“I think that will be reinforced throughout the entire period.”
With excitement levels high among the LGBTIQ+ community as Pride is welcomed to Australian shores, it’s easy to forget many are still facing struggles with acceptance, Thorpe says.
“A lot of people assumed when marriage equality happened, that everything was resolved in the queer community and that’s actually not the case,” he said.
“I’ve been to Canberra to speak with politicians, not only on marriage equality, and around the Religious Discrimination Bill, and the multiple iterations that it had.
“Because it was a horrible bill for gay people in this country, but also people of faith, and I’m actually really pleased that it was something that the government decided to dismiss.
“During the previous election, we saw trans issues really being weaponised as they had been in the US, and I think when you demonise a group of vulnerable people that struggle so much, it’s lacklustre at best.”
The landscape has changed an enormous amount in the last two decades and Australia has come a long way.
As the swimming legend points out, back when he was competing professionally, approval of gay marriage sat at just 35 per cent nationally – a stark comparison to levels now.
“When I was competing, like in 2004, around 35 per cent of people supported gay marriage,” he said.
“When it came to the plebiscite, those numbers actually had doubled in that period of time.
“When it comes to the acceptance of trans people in the community, the numbers are going up.
“But it also means that there is a struggle in this area, and there’s more that could be done … it appals me that (trans rights) had been weaponised during election periods.”
Sydney WorldPride in pictures: City transformed into sea of rainbows
Thorpe says that as a queer person, it’s easy to get caught up in negative headlines and divisive politics.
He reminds young people the real change in perception often happens quietly, subtly and among peers “around the dinner table”.
“The reasons that marriage equality worked in Australia was, it was not in debates that happened in parliament, or in television, or through the media,” he said.
“It was conversations which were around a dinner table.
“And that is usually the most influential place for people to gain or disregard an opinion.
“As people have actually been out and been representative of their gay community, people realise that we’re your nurses, your doctors, your teachers, all of those things.
“It’s normalised our position.”
Asked what he wants to see from WorldPride, Thorpe says he’d like all Australians – and people around the world – to understand the event is actually a celebration of inclusion that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just LGBTIQ+ people.
“I’m just excited,” he said.
“We’ll have you know, tens of thousands of extra people, all having fun, enjoying themselves.
“It’s not something that’s just for the queer community, it’s actually for everyone.
“Everyone’s invited to the party.”
