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Victoria’s Pride Centre is so gay, and so expensive.

The Victorian Labor Government has spent $6m saving a gay pride centre from financial collapse, proving that LGBTQ rainbows do end in a pot of gold.

And guess who’s paying for the glitter?

You, darling.

A $40 Million Rainbow Welcome

The Victorian Pride Centre was established by the Dan Andrews Government back in 2016, with a little help from the fairy-taxpayer.

Back then, Victorians shelled out $40m of fantabulous funding. That’s a lot of sequins.

The glittering millions helping to secure land as well as pay for construction of the State’s purpose-built gay and trans community centre.

Just as an aside, the term “purpose-built” was borrowed from a report in The Australian.

To be clear, I’ve no idea what a “purpose-built” gay and trans centre means in practice.

Is there a special entrance?

A designated area for dramatic exits?

A room where people can practise saying “I’m literally being erased” without disturbing the neighbours?

But I digress.

Dan Andrews officially opened the gay place in 2021.

That was back in the day when Victorians were still living in fear that the Rona would get them if they misbehaved.

But not even dodgy Chinese lab workers (they were probably heterosexual) could stop Victoria’s LGBTQ centre from shimmying its way into existence.

The Premier braved the virus, reportedly wearing a specially made Covid-era rainbow mask (of course), to officially open the Pride joint.

Since then, the Victorian Pride Centre has played regular host to community functions.

And, according to The Australian, about 16 gay and transgender groups rent space in the St Kilda building.

Tenants include LGBTIQA+ health, legal, sporting, radio, artistic and youth services. All perfectly legitimate activities, of course.

But you’d be wrong if you thought it was all Kylie Minogue, glitter cannons and RuPaul telling everyone they were born naked and the rest is drag.

Behind the fabulous façade, something decidedly un-fabulous was happening…

When Pride Comes Before Profit

According to The Australian,

The Victorian Pride Centre has been battling a financial crisis for the past two years amid soaring expenses which include a spiralling wages bill.

Who knew that employing the equivalent of nine full-time staff at about a million dollars a year would be unsustainable for a humble community centre?

Sorry, not humble. Pride. My bad.

So did the Pride centre cut back, you know, like normal businesses do when they’re losing money hand over, er, fist, and learn to behave like the boring, unglamorous businesses that have to survive without a government fairy godmother?

Lady Gaga’s chance in hell.

The VPC accounts reveal the centre plunged into an operating deficit in the past two years, racking up a $342,000 loss in 2025 on top of a $4.9m loss in 2024.

Well, paint me lavender and call me Judy!

A $4.9 million loss in 2024, followed by another $342,000 loss in 2025.

That’s not a financial wobble, darling. That’s a fiscal face-plant.

Most businesses facing losses of that magnitude would have to make some hard decisions. Cut spending. Restructure. Find new revenue. Perhaps ask whether their business model is working.

But this is the Victorian Pride Centre, where apparently the usual rules of economics are about as welcome as a homophobe at Mardi Gras.

A $6 Million Taxpayer-Funded Lifeline

Fortunately, the Victorian taxpayer has come to the rescue, “forgiving” a $6m loan.

And isn’t that just fabulous?

Of course, loans aren’t really forgiven. The debt doesn’t evaporate in a cloud of rainbow-coloured smoke. The money has to come from somewhere.

In this case, the state government has decided that the people who lent the money shouldn’t expect it back.

Which means the cost lands on someone else.

You, darling. Again.

The taxpayer is the ultimate sugar daddy: expected to provide the cash, ask no awkward questions and smile while the bill arrives.

And if you dare complain, well, that’s not very inclusive, is it?

Equality Minister Steve Dimopoulos, announcing the decision just four weeks before the state election, said,

“(The decision) allows the Pride Centre to do more of what it already does, and do it with a sense of security.”

If you’ll permit me another aside. I thought we were all equal. Why the need for an equality minister unless some are more equal than others? Again, I digress.

Minister Dimopoulos said it was vital that the gay community had a safe space.

Is there a safe space for Victorian taxpayers? Queensland, right?

He added that the $6m injection would “allow it to do more of what it already does”.

Er… as in, lose money?

One Rule for Pride, Another for Everyone Else

If the centre has been running deficits for two years amid soaring expenses, what exactly is the plan? Will the government be back next year with another fabulous financial makeover?

Queer Eye for the broke guy?

And here’s another thing. Could you imagine the uproar if a Coalition government bailed out a church for $6m?

Victoria would be raining fire and brimstone. Oh, wait. That’s already taken. But you get my point.

How many businesses can get a $40m land and building given to them, run at a loss and then have their debts forgiven?

The corner cafe?

The local Anglican Church?

Can the Labor government bail out my business and write my loans off? No? Why not?

What makes the Pride Centre so fabulous?

Perhaps the Pride Centre needs a little less “love is love” and a little more “revenue is revenue”.

If this whole episode has taught us anything, it’s that the rainbow has many colours, but the taxpayer only needs to see green.

Has the Victorian Pride Centre no shame?

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Republished with thanks to The James Macpherson Report.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Halloween 2025 at the Victorian Pride Centre.