Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival
in Sydney
, Australia
, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas. It is one of the largest such festivals in the world, and includes a variety of events such as the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Bondi Beach Drag Races, Harbour Party, the academic discussion panel Queer Thinking, Mardi Gras Film Festival
, as well as Fair Day, which sees 70,000 people converge on Victoria Park, Sydney
.
The parade and dance party attracts many international and domestic tourists. Sydney Mardi Gras is one of Australia's biggest tourist drawcards, generating an annual income of about $30 million for the state of New South Wales. It is New South Wales’ second-largest event in terms of economic impact.
The celebrations emerged during the early 1980s after arrests were made during pro-gay rights protest
s that began in 1978. The Parade maintains this political edge, with many floats marching in support of LGBTQI rights. Marriage equality was a dominant theme in the 2011 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, with at least 15 floats lobbying for same-sex marriage. In recent years, Fair Day has opened the Mardi Gras festival with an all day outdoor fair at Victoria Park, attracting 70,000 people.
. More than 500 people gathered on Oxford Street, calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing, an end to police harassment and the repeal of all anti-homosexual laws. The figure rose to around 2,000 as revellers out for the Saturday night at Oxford Street bars and clubs responded to the call "Out of the bars and into the streets!". Although the organisers had obtained permission, this was revoked, and the march was broken up by the police. 53 of the marchers were arrested. Although most charges were eventually dropped, The Sydney Morning Herald
published the names of those arrested in full, leading to many people being outed to their friends and places of employment, and many of those arrested lost their jobs as homosexuality
was a crime in New South Wales
(NSW) until 1984. Only two people who were arrested were fined. The rest were released without bail and the charges dismissed. The police response to a legal, local minority celebration transformed it into a nationally signicant event which stimulating gay rights and law reform campaigns.
The Mardi Gras Parade occurred again in 1979, and was attended by 3,000 people. In that same year, the Labor Government of New South Wales, led by Neville Wran
, repealled the Summary Offences Act under which the two arrests in 1978 were made. The second Mardi Gras had the theme of 'Power in the Darkness'. While there was a large police presence, there were no arrests made. In 1980, no Parade was held, but following community consultation, decisions were made to move the parade to the summer.
In 1981, the parade was shifted to February, with the name changed to the "Sydney Gay Mardi Gras". An increasingly large number of people not only participated in the now summertime event, but a crowd of 5,000 came to watch it. 1981's event saw a split develop between lesbian and gays over the inclusion of floats representing businesses. For most of the decade many lesbian excluded themselves from the event. The first post-parade party was held in 1982, which 4,000 people attended. This would continue to become an integral part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. 1983 saw 44 floats participate with 20,000 onlookers. In 1987, an estimated 100,000 people came to watch the parade.
The mid 1980s saw considerable pressure placed to the Mardi Gras Committee following media controversy regarding AIDS. Despite calls for the Parade and Party to be banned, the 1985 Parade went ahead with theme “Fighting for Our Lives”. In 1988 the parade was renamed the "Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras" at an Extraodinary General Meeting.
1991 saw the eighth annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film festival, a Mardi Gras event, included in a national film festival for the first time. In this year the parade had become the largest ever held in Australia. In 1992, the festival lasted for four weeks, making it the largest gay and lesbian festival in the world. By 1993, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade had become the largest night time outdoor parade in the world. Mardi Gras' Economic Impact Study found that the total Mardi Gras impact into the Australian economy was around $38 million.
In 1994, Mardi Gras Festival adopted the theme 'We are Family', a nod to it being International Year of the Family. That year there were 137 floats in the parade with 600,000 spectators. For the first time, the Parade was filmed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) and shown on Sunday March 6 at 8.30 pm. It won its time slot and earned the ABC its highest ratings in history. The 1997 Parade was covered by Libbi Gorr
's current affairs show McFeast on the ABC.
The 2001 Parade was broadcast on Channel 10 and had a theme of gay and lesbian parenting. The 2002 event saw a loss of A$400,000. In 2003, the festival organisers responded to claims that the event was becoming too commercialised by implemented a scaled-down, grassroots approach.
The 2009 performance figures indicated about 9,500 participants and 134 floats were part of the parade, making it the largest ever.
Up to 300,000 spectators from Australia and overseas turned out in 2011 for the celebrations. In early 2011, "New Mardi Gras" members unanimously voted to include Intersex
formally into the organisation at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and adopt the formal use of the LGBTQI acronym. On 17 November 2011, "New Mardi Gras" (the organisation responsible for the festival and parade) changed the event name to "Sydney Mardi Gras" to allow for greater inclusion of the LGBTQI community it represents including those identifying as Bisexual, Transexual, Queer
and Intersex
. On this date the organisation reverted to its former name, "Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras".
, the Australian Defence Force
, Amnesty International Australia
, Australian Marriage Equality
, City of Sydney
, Fire and Rescue NSW, Taronga Conservation Society and DNA (magazine) among many others.
Each parade starts with approximately 200 "Dykes on Bikes" riding up Oxford Street. It is often accompanied by fireworks displays, which are launched from the rooftops of buildings along the parade route. Approximately 300,000 spectators watch the Parade as it snakes 1.7 km through the Sydney CBD and Darlinghurst.
The parade travels along Oxford Street
before turning into Flinders Street and finally into the Bus lane that runs parallel to Anzac Parade - to the parade end. These roads and others including some around Hyde Park
, are closed to traffic for the duration of the parade and for a few hours after as clean-up operations proceed.
Each year, a Chief of Parade (Grand Marshal
), is chosen by the organisation New Mardi Gras as someone who represents the values and spirit of Mardi Gras. This honourable title has previously been awarded to:
In 2011, instead of a single Chief of Parade leading the march, eight high-profile heroes were chosen to lead the Parade. These were:
In 2011, Ignatius Jones
was brought in as Consulting Artistic Director to oversee the creative production of the Parade.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade enjoys extensive coverage from the media. In 2011, it was broadcast on radio by Joy 94.9 FM Melbourne and 2SER
107.3 FM Sydney. The Parade was also shown live on FOXTEL
's Arena Channel in its entirety. The Foxtel broadcast was presented by hosts Louie Spence
of Pineapple Dance Studios
, Charlotte Dawson
, Ruby Rose and Matthew Mitcham. The Parade was also broadcast on radio live by various community radio stations, via the CBAA's Community Radio Network satellite.
Despite its name, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is not held on Mardi Gras
(Shrove Tuesday
) or indeed, on a Tuesday at all. In recent years, the Mardi Gras Parade has been on the first Saturday of March, with a festival of events going for approximately 3 weeks preceding it.
/ Royal Hall of Industries peaked in 1998 with 27,000 tickets sold. In the years since 17,000 to 20,000 tickets are consistently sold, an increase over the first Parade Ball held in 1980 at the Paddington Town Hall, a BYO event which attracted 700 guests. Although, by the late first decade of the 21st century, ticket sales has begun to fall, with festival organisors expecting circa 15,000 attendees at the 2012 post parade party.
The 2010 party was not held on the night of the parade and was later described by the organisers as human error during scheduling.
In the last 20 years, several well known local and international artists have performed at the Party and include:
s were released in 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2003.
The festival's live entertainment includes cabarets, comedy, music and theatre. The Mardi Gras Film Festival showcases international and local gay and lesbian films. There are many literature and arts events, forum and conferences to attend between the many social activities. Individual and team sports have always been a big part of the festival.
Fair Day is the kick off event for the official Mardi Gras season in Victoria Park, Sydney for Sydney's wider LGBTQI community and their friends, family and pets. Up to 70 000 people routinely turn out to sit on the grass, browse the stalls and catch up with old friends or make some new ones. Fair Day 2011 saw record numbers of attendees. Entertainment came from the FOXTEL Main Stage included a set from Zoe Badwi
and Garcon Garcon, and included one of the biggest ever “Mr and Mrs Fair Day” competitions. Approximately 250 volunteers assisted with 220 stalls made up of many LGBTQI community groups.
and Penny Wong
, Members of the House of Representatives
Anthony Albanese
and Tanya Plibersek
, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Barry O'Farrell
as well as the present Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore
.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians and international guests come out in support of the Parade, with many lining up for a viewing spot from early in the afternoon. By the 7.45 pm Parade kick-off, crowds are usually ten-people deep. Though it has rained on several Mardi Gras parades (notably with heavy downpours prior to, and drizzle during, the parade in 1995, and heavy rainfall during the parade in 2004), this has never stopped the parade.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is regarded internationally as one of the world's biggest and best LGBTQI marches and festivals, and has been described as an "absolute once-in-a-lifetime must for every travelling gay man".
In the 2000's the Mardi Gras organisation struck financial trouble, and collapsed. This was attributed at the time by some to poor financial management
, while another explanation was given as Australia's ongoing public liability
crisis, which has seen massive insurance premiums impose a significant burden on community and public events, if not preventing them. As a consequence of the impending collapse of the organisation, there was a groundswell of concern and support within Sydney's LGBTQI communities for the continuation of the work and events of Mardi Gras. A series of crisis meetings culminated in the creation of a reformed organisation "New Mardi Gras" being formed to continue the Parade, the Festival & the Party.
Limited funds have also been sourced from the Sleaze Ball party held in Sydney towards the end of the year. Mardi Gras still receives significant public support and the event now receives some limited government funding which should go towards ensuring that it remains a part of Sydney culture for some time.
to tradition Christian values
. Each year the event is held, Fred Nile
, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
and a former minister of the Uniting Church in Australia
, leads a prayer for rain on the event.
Criticism of the Sydney Mardi Gras was perhaps at its strongest during the early years of the AIDS
crisis, and flared again when in 1994 the national broadcaster, ABC
, telecast the parade for the first time. Triple J
radio has broadcast the event live across the nation a number of times as well.
In January 2008, Robert Forsyth
, Anglican bishop of South Sydney condemned Corpus Christi
, which opened for Mardi Gras, because it depicted Judas
seducing a gay
Jesus as well as Jesus' administration of gay marriage between two apostles. Director Leigh Rowney accepted that it would generate discussion on Homosexuality and Christianity
stating: "I wanted this play in the hands of a Christian person like myself to give it dignity but still open it up to answering questions about Christianity as a faith system." Playwright
Terrence McNally
, a gay
man, received death threats when it was played in the United States
.
Gay pride parade
Pride parades for the LGBT community are events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas. It is one of the largest such festivals in the world, and includes a variety of events such as the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Bondi Beach Drag Races, Harbour Party, the academic discussion panel Queer Thinking, Mardi Gras Film Festival
Mardi Gras Film Festival
The Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival is held as part of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations every year. It is hosted by the non profit organization, Queer Screen and is one of the worlds largest platforms for LGBT cinema....
, as well as Fair Day, which sees 70,000 people converge on Victoria Park, Sydney
Victoria Park, Sydney
Victoria Park is a large park in Sydney, situated on the corner of Parramatta road and City road, within the grounds of University of Sydney and across Parramatta road from Broadway Shopping Centre...
.
The parade and dance party attracts many international and domestic tourists. Sydney Mardi Gras is one of Australia's biggest tourist drawcards, generating an annual income of about $30 million for the state of New South Wales. It is New South Wales’ second-largest event in terms of economic impact.
The celebrations emerged during the early 1980s after arrests were made during pro-gay rights protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s that began in 1978. The Parade maintains this political edge, with many floats marching in support of LGBTQI rights. Marriage equality was a dominant theme in the 2011 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, with at least 15 floats lobbying for same-sex marriage. In recent years, Fair Day has opened the Mardi Gras festival with an all day outdoor fair at Victoria Park, attracting 70,000 people.
History
The first Mardi Gras was held on 24 June 1978 at 10 pm as a night-time celebration following a morning protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall RiotsStonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
. More than 500 people gathered on Oxford Street, calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing, an end to police harassment and the repeal of all anti-homosexual laws. The figure rose to around 2,000 as revellers out for the Saturday night at Oxford Street bars and clubs responded to the call "Out of the bars and into the streets!". Although the organisers had obtained permission, this was revoked, and the march was broken up by the police. 53 of the marchers were arrested. Although most charges were eventually dropped, The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
published the names of those arrested in full, leading to many people being outed to their friends and places of employment, and many of those arrested lost their jobs as homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
was a crime in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW) until 1984. Only two people who were arrested were fined. The rest were released without bail and the charges dismissed. The police response to a legal, local minority celebration transformed it into a nationally signicant event which stimulating gay rights and law reform campaigns.
The Mardi Gras Parade occurred again in 1979, and was attended by 3,000 people. In that same year, the Labor Government of New South Wales, led by Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
, repealled the Summary Offences Act under which the two arrests in 1978 were made. The second Mardi Gras had the theme of 'Power in the Darkness'. While there was a large police presence, there were no arrests made. In 1980, no Parade was held, but following community consultation, decisions were made to move the parade to the summer.
In 1981, the parade was shifted to February, with the name changed to the "Sydney Gay Mardi Gras". An increasingly large number of people not only participated in the now summertime event, but a crowd of 5,000 came to watch it. 1981's event saw a split develop between lesbian and gays over the inclusion of floats representing businesses. For most of the decade many lesbian excluded themselves from the event. The first post-parade party was held in 1982, which 4,000 people attended. This would continue to become an integral part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. 1983 saw 44 floats participate with 20,000 onlookers. In 1987, an estimated 100,000 people came to watch the parade.
The mid 1980s saw considerable pressure placed to the Mardi Gras Committee following media controversy regarding AIDS. Despite calls for the Parade and Party to be banned, the 1985 Parade went ahead with theme “Fighting for Our Lives”. In 1988 the parade was renamed the "Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras" at an Extraodinary General Meeting.
1991 saw the eighth annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film festival, a Mardi Gras event, included in a national film festival for the first time. In this year the parade had become the largest ever held in Australia. In 1992, the festival lasted for four weeks, making it the largest gay and lesbian festival in the world. By 1993, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade had become the largest night time outdoor parade in the world. Mardi Gras' Economic Impact Study found that the total Mardi Gras impact into the Australian economy was around $38 million.
In 1994, Mardi Gras Festival adopted the theme 'We are Family', a nod to it being International Year of the Family. That year there were 137 floats in the parade with 600,000 spectators. For the first time, the Parade was filmed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) and shown on Sunday March 6 at 8.30 pm. It won its time slot and earned the ABC its highest ratings in history. The 1997 Parade was covered by Libbi Gorr
Libbi Gorr
Lisbeth Joanne "Libbi" Gorr is an Australian broadcaster, writer, voice artist and journalist. She is also known for the satirical character that she created called "Elle McFeast"....
's current affairs show McFeast on the ABC.
The 2001 Parade was broadcast on Channel 10 and had a theme of gay and lesbian parenting. The 2002 event saw a loss of A$400,000. In 2003, the festival organisers responded to claims that the event was becoming too commercialised by implemented a scaled-down, grassroots approach.
The 2009 performance figures indicated about 9,500 participants and 134 floats were part of the parade, making it the largest ever.
Up to 300,000 spectators from Australia and overseas turned out in 2011 for the celebrations. In early 2011, "New Mardi Gras" members unanimously voted to include Intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
formally into the organisation at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and adopt the formal use of the LGBTQI acronym. On 17 November 2011, "New Mardi Gras" (the organisation responsible for the festival and parade) changed the event name to "Sydney Mardi Gras" to allow for greater inclusion of the LGBTQI community it represents including those identifying as Bisexual, Transexual, Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
and Intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
. On this date the organisation reverted to its former name, "Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras".
Mardi Gras Parade
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival culminates in the renowned Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, an LGBTQI rights protest and celebration of sexuality. The parade features more than 8,500 entrants in colourful costumes and elaborate floats, who represent a community group, topical theme or political message. Parade entrants include members of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and GaysParents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a socio-political group of family members and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Its mission statement describes the goals of PFLAG as promoting health and well being of LGBT persons as well as actively supporting...
, the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
, Amnesty International Australia
Amnesty International Australia
Amnesty International Australia is a section of the Amnesty International network, and is part of the global movement promoting and defending human rights and dignity....
, Australian Marriage Equality
Australian Marriage Equality
Australian Marriage Equality is a group of Australians from various states and territories who have come together to campaign for law reform and attitudinal change necessary to allow same sex couples to marry...
, City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
, Fire and Rescue NSW, Taronga Conservation Society and DNA (magazine) among many others.
Each parade starts with approximately 200 "Dykes on Bikes" riding up Oxford Street. It is often accompanied by fireworks displays, which are launched from the rooftops of buildings along the parade route. Approximately 300,000 spectators watch the Parade as it snakes 1.7 km through the Sydney CBD and Darlinghurst.
The parade travels along Oxford Street
Oxford Street, Sydney
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in Sydney, Australia running from Whitlam Square on the south-east corner of Hyde Park in the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Junction in the Eastern Suburbs. Close to the CBD in particular, the street is lined with numerous shops, bars and...
before turning into Flinders Street and finally into the Bus lane that runs parallel to Anzac Parade - to the parade end. These roads and others including some around Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Sydney
Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney central business district. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Port Jackson . It is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the...
, are closed to traffic for the duration of the parade and for a few hours after as clean-up operations proceed.
Each year, a Chief of Parade (Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
), is chosen by the organisation New Mardi Gras as someone who represents the values and spirit of Mardi Gras. This honourable title has previously been awarded to:
- 2007 - Rupert EverettRupert EverettRupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
, gay actor. - 2008 - Margaret ChoMargaret ChoMargaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...
, bisexual American comedian. - 2009 - Matthew MitchamMatthew MitchamMatthew Mitcham, is an Australian diver. He is the 2008 Olympic champion in the 10 m platform, having received the highest single-dive score in Olympic history...
, Australian Olympic gold-medalist, world record holder and 2008 Australian Sports Performer of the Year. - 2010 - Amanda LeporeAmanda LeporeAmanda Lepore is an American model, nightclub hostess, fashion icon, performance artist, and transgender icon. She has appeared in advertising for numerous companies, including M.A.C. cosmetics, Mego Jeans, The Blonds, Swatch, CAMP Cosmetics, and Heatherette, which has used her likeness on...
, transgender model/performer.
In 2011, instead of a single Chief of Parade leading the march, eight high-profile heroes were chosen to lead the Parade. These were:
- Lily TomlinLily TomlinMary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
, gay actress and comedian - Peter TatchellPeter TatchellPeter Gary Tatchell is an Australian-born British political campaigner best known for his work with LGBT social movements...
, world-renowned gay rights campaigner - Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
- Bev Lange, CEO of the Bobby GoldsmithBobby GoldsmithBobby Goldsmith was one of Australia's early victims of acquired immune deficiency syndrome . Goldsmith was an Australian athlete and active gay community member who won 17 medals in swimming at the first Gay Olympics, in San Francisco in 1982.Goldsmith was assisted by a network of friends who...
Foundation at the time, former President of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and former co-chair of the Sydney Gay Games - Lex Watson and Sue Wills, Campaign Against Moral Prosecution's (CAMP) first Co-Presidents
- Hannah Williams and Savannah Supski, who recently protested against the ban against same-sex couples at Hannah's Melbourne school formal.
In 2011, Ignatius Jones
Ignatius Jones
Ignatius Jones is an Australian actor and former lead singer of punk cabaret band Jimmy And The Boys.With David Atkins, he was the creative force behind the Opening Ceremony of Shanghai 2010 World Expo and the Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games...
was brought in as Consulting Artistic Director to oversee the creative production of the Parade.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade enjoys extensive coverage from the media. In 2011, it was broadcast on radio by Joy 94.9 FM Melbourne and 2SER
2SER
2SER is a community radio station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 107.3 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The station operates as a company limited by guarantee and is jointly owned by Macquarie University and the...
107.3 FM Sydney. The Parade was also shown live on FOXTEL
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
's Arena Channel in its entirety. The Foxtel broadcast was presented by hosts Louie Spence
Louie Spence
Louie Spence is a dance expert, choreographer and television personality who is currently the artistic director at the London Pineapple Dance Studios...
of Pineapple Dance Studios
Pineapple Dance Studios (TV series)
Pineapple Dance Studios is a docusoap which aired on Sky1 during 2010. The show gave viewers an insight into the world of Pineapple Dance Studios, a London dance complex, and introduced several employees including Louie Spence and Andrew Stone. The show was first broadcast on 14 February 2010 on...
, Charlotte Dawson
Charlotte Dawson
Charlotte Dawson is known in New Zealand for her roles as host of Getaway, How's Life? and Charlotte's Lists, in Australia as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model and as a host of The Contender Australia....
, Ruby Rose and Matthew Mitcham. The Parade was also broadcast on radio live by various community radio stations, via the CBAA's Community Radio Network satellite.
Despite its name, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is not held on Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
(Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
) or indeed, on a Tuesday at all. In recent years, the Mardi Gras Parade has been on the first Saturday of March, with a festival of events going for approximately 3 weeks preceding it.
Mardi Gras Party (post Parade)
The post parade party is one the largest ongoing party events in the country. Mardi Gras Party attendances at Sydney's Hordern PavilionHordern Pavilion
The Hordern Pavilion is a building located in Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the grounds of the old Sydney Showground. "The Hordern", as it is affectionally known by Sydneysiders, has been an architecturally and socially significant Sydney landmark since its construction in 1924...
/ Royal Hall of Industries peaked in 1998 with 27,000 tickets sold. In the years since 17,000 to 20,000 tickets are consistently sold, an increase over the first Parade Ball held in 1980 at the Paddington Town Hall, a BYO event which attracted 700 guests. Although, by the late first decade of the 21st century, ticket sales has begun to fall, with festival organisors expecting circa 15,000 attendees at the 2012 post parade party.
The 2010 party was not held on the night of the parade and was later described by the organisers as human error during scheduling.
In the last 20 years, several well known local and international artists have performed at the Party and include:
- 1990 - Sam BackoSam BackoSam Backo is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who has been named as one of the greatest Aboriginal players of the 20th century. He represented Australia and Queensland, and played club football in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Canberra...
, Marcia HinesMarcia HinesMarcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar... - 1994 - John Paul YoungJohn Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
, Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing... - 1995 - Boy GeorgeBoy GeorgeBoy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
- 1996 - Trudi Valentine, Thelma HoustonThelma HoustonThelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
- 1997 - Chaka KhanChaka KhanChaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Village PeopleVillage PeopleVillage People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics.... - 1998 - Jimmy SomervilleJimmy SomervilleJames William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
, Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Danni Minogue - 1999 - Danni Minogue, Marcia HinesMarcia HinesMarcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
, Erin HamiltonErin HamiltonErin Hamilton is an American electronic dance music singer. The daughter of actress Carol Burnett and TV Producer Joe Hamilton, she has scored several hits on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart...
, Jimmy BarnesJimmy BarnesJames Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at... - 2001 - Vanessa AmorosiVanessa AmorosiVanessa Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over 2 million worldwide.-Early life:...
, Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
, Christine AnuChristine Anu-Early life:Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai and Mabuiag Islands.-Career:Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993... - 2002 - Human NatureHuman Nature (band)Human Nature are an Australian pop vocal group. The group was originally formed as a doo-wop band in 1989 while the current members were at school together in Sydney. So far, the band has had 17 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits in Australia since 1996 when their first album Telling Everybody was...
, BardotBardotBardot was an Australian female pop group which formed in 1999 on the Australian reality television series of Popstars. Aired in early 2000, the program was a fresh concept to audiences, attracting high ratings and much attention in the media....
, Deborah CoxDeborah CoxDeborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on... - 2003 - Suzanne PalmerSuzanne PalmerSuzanne Palmer is a female Progressive Trance, Club/Dance and House music singer, songwriter, pianist and producer born in Chicago, Illinois. She is best known as the lead vocalist on Peter Rauhofer's Club 69 project, most specifically the hits Much Better , "Alright" and a remake of the Michael...
- 2005 - Nicki FrenchNicki FrenchNicola S. French is a female English singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and for representing the United Kingdom in 2000 at Eurovision in Stockholm.-Career:French provided backing vocals on Rose-Marie's 1992 album, Emotional Exposure...
, Darren HayesDarren HayesDarren Stanley Hayes is a UK-based Australian singer-songwriter. Hayes was the front man and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden, whose 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in United Kingdom and No. 3 in United States...
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, Boy George - 2008 - Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Olivia Newton John - 2009 - Alison JiearAlison JiearAlison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia....
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Mardi Gras Festival
For many years a fully themed magazine style guide with information on all events has been produced. Several multi-disc Mardi Gras compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s were released in 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2003.
The festival's live entertainment includes cabarets, comedy, music and theatre. The Mardi Gras Film Festival showcases international and local gay and lesbian films. There are many literature and arts events, forum and conferences to attend between the many social activities. Individual and team sports have always been a big part of the festival.
Mardi Gras Fair Day
Zoe Badwi
Zoë Badwi is an Australian dance singer-songwriter, model and actress.-Early life:Before her career in music began, Badwi spent time modelling and featured in a series of television commercials including advertisements for Telstra and Mars Bars...
and Garcon Garcon, and included one of the biggest ever “Mr and Mrs Fair Day” competitions. Approximately 250 volunteers assisted with 220 stalls made up of many LGBTQI community groups.
Support
Political support has come from a number of local and federal politicians such as Senators Natasha Stott DespojaNatasha Stott Despoja
Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja AM is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008...
and Penny Wong
Penny Wong
Penelope "Penny" Ying-yen Wong , is an Australian Labor Party senator for South Australia and the Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Wong was the first Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water. Her appointment was amended on 26 February 2010, by the Prime Minister, to the...
, Members of the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Anthony Albanese
Anthony Albanese
Anthony Norman Albanese , Australian politician, who serves as Leader of the House of Representatives and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in the Gillard Ministry...
and Tanya Plibersek
Tanya Plibersek
Tanya Joan Plibersek, MP , is an Australian politician with the Australian Labor Party, and Federal Minister for Social Inclusion and Minister for Human Services. She has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the seat of Sydney, New South Wales...
, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
as well as the present Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore
Clover Moore
Clover Moore , is an Australian politician, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electorate of Sydney. Moore is the first publicly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney. Prior to the 2007 NSW state election, she...
.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians and international guests come out in support of the Parade, with many lining up for a viewing spot from early in the afternoon. By the 7.45 pm Parade kick-off, crowds are usually ten-people deep. Though it has rained on several Mardi Gras parades (notably with heavy downpours prior to, and drizzle during, the parade in 1995, and heavy rainfall during the parade in 2004), this has never stopped the parade.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is regarded internationally as one of the world's biggest and best LGBTQI marches and festivals, and has been described as an "absolute once-in-a-lifetime must for every travelling gay man".
In the 2000's the Mardi Gras organisation struck financial trouble, and collapsed. This was attributed at the time by some to poor financial management
Corporate finance
Corporate finance is the area of finance dealing with monetary decisions that business enterprises make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximize shareholder value while managing the firm's financial risks...
, while another explanation was given as Australia's ongoing public liability
Liability insurance
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy...
crisis, which has seen massive insurance premiums impose a significant burden on community and public events, if not preventing them. As a consequence of the impending collapse of the organisation, there was a groundswell of concern and support within Sydney's LGBTQI communities for the continuation of the work and events of Mardi Gras. A series of crisis meetings culminated in the creation of a reformed organisation "New Mardi Gras" being formed to continue the Parade, the Festival & the Party.
Limited funds have also been sourced from the Sleaze Ball party held in Sydney towards the end of the year. Mardi Gras still receives significant public support and the event now receives some limited government funding which should go towards ensuring that it remains a part of Sydney culture for some time.
Criticism and Opposition
Mardi Gras has consistently attracted opposition from numerous sources of various religious and political affiliations. Mardi Gras is inherently subversiveSubversion
Apache Subversion is a software versioning and a revision control system distributed under a free license. Developers use Subversion to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation...
to tradition Christian values
Christian values
The term Christian values historically refers to the values found in the teachings of Jesus.The biblical teachings of Jesus include:* love of God: "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" ,...
. Each year the event is held, Fred Nile
Fred Nile
Frederick John "Fred" Nile is an Australian politician and clergyman. Nile has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 1981, except for a period in 2004 when he resigned to contest the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election...
, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
and a former minister of the Uniting Church in Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
, leads a prayer for rain on the event.
Criticism of the Sydney Mardi Gras was perhaps at its strongest during the early years of the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
crisis, and flared again when in 1994 the national broadcaster, ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, telecast the parade for the first time. Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
radio has broadcast the event live across the nation a number of times as well.
In January 2008, Robert Forsyth
Robert Forsyth
Robert Forsyth is the Anglican Bishop of South Sydney - a region of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. He has been bishop since 2000. Prior to that he was the rector of St. Barnabas, Broadway.- Personal life:...
, Anglican bishop of South Sydney condemned Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (play)
Corpus Christi is a passion play by Terrence McNally dramatizing the story of Jesus and the Apostles. Written in 1997 and first staged in New York in 1998, it depicts Jesus and the Apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. It utilizes modern devices like television with anachronisms like...
, which opened for Mardi Gras, because it depicted Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
seducing a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
Jesus as well as Jesus' administration of gay marriage between two apostles. Director Leigh Rowney accepted that it would generate discussion on Homosexuality and Christianity
Homosexuality and Christianity
Christian denominations hold a variety of views on the issues of sexual orientation and homosexuality, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance. In accordance with the traditional values of Abrahamic religions, most Christian denominations welcome people attracted to the same sex,...
stating: "I wanted this play in the hands of a Christian person like myself to give it dignity but still open it up to answering questions about Christianity as a faith system." Playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
, a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man, received death threats when it was played in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
See also
- List of LGBT events
- Mardi Gras Film FestivalMardi Gras Film FestivalThe Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival is held as part of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations every year. It is hosted by the non profit organization, Queer Screen and is one of the worlds largest platforms for LGBT cinema....
- Tourism in SydneyTourism in SydneyTourism in Sydney, Australia forms an important part of the city's economy. The city received 7 million domestic visitors and 2.7 million international visitors in year ending Dec 2010. The most well known attractions include the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions...
External links
- Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives holds extensive collections relating to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, including records, photographs, publications, posters, artwork, t-shirts, badges etc.