Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Performers in the 2006 Sydney Mardi Gras

The Sydney Mardi Gras (formally Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras) is an annual gay pride parade and festival for the gay and lesbian community in Sydney, Australia. It is one of the largest such events in the world. Despite its name, it is not held on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) or indeed, on a Tuesday at all.

1 History
2 Opposition
3 Support
4 Mardi Gras today
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

It began on June 24, 1978 as a protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. Although the organisers had obtained permission, this was revoked, and the march was broken up by the police. Many 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 until 1982.

The event was held again in 1979, with the name changed to the "Sydney Gay Mardi Gras". In 1980 the first post-parade dance party was introduced, and in 1981 the parade was shifted to February. An increasingly large number of people not only participated in the event, but larger numbers of the wider community turned out to watch the parade. In 1988 the parade was renamed the "Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras".

The parade, whilst featuring many in the gay community with a penchant for exotic costumes and dance music, has always retained a political edge, with often witty visual commentary on their political opponents featuring in the floats. As homosexuality became more and more accepted in the wider community, more gay representatives of community groups and organisations have taken part in the parade, including the police force. The parade features a number of costumed characters that return for many succesive years. Dykes on Bikes and Miss New Zealand are perfect examples of regular crowd favourites.

[edit] Opposition

The Mardi Gras has continued to attract political opposition from various, mainly conservative Christian, sources. 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 this opposition with a prayer for rain on the event. The march is often attended by conservative Christian activists bearing signs with messages such as "Jesus still loves you". In 2006 the cross-campus student float forcibly acquired one such sign and carried it along with them as "an [sic] gesture against homophobic religious fundamentalism".

Criticism of Sydney's Mardi Gras was perhaps at its strongest during the early years of the AIDS crisis, and reached another crescendo when in 1994 the national broadcaster, ABC, telecast the parade for the first time (a huge ratings success for the network). JJJ radio has broadcast the event live across the nation a number of times as well.

[edit] Support

Political support has come from a number of local and federal politicians such as Senators Natasha Stott Despoja and Penny Wong, Members of the House of Representatives Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek and the present Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

The parade travels along most of Oxford Street which is closed to traffic. The crowds can begin to appear at midday on the day of the parade and by 8 pm crowds can be several 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 rain fall during the parade in 2004), this has never stopped the parade.

The event was somewhat popular and lucrative in the 1990s. An evaluation of the 1998 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras estimated the event injected AUD99 million into the NSW state economy.^[1] In the 2000s the Mardi Gras organisation struck financial trouble, nearing a permanent end until an anonymous benefactor arose to provide financial support. This has been attributed by some to poor financial management, but others in the gay community have claimed that these events indicated that homosexuality has "gone mainstream" and is now so integrated into the wider suburban Australian community that the need to band together for such events is declining. Another explanation has been 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. However, Mardi Gras still receives some public support, and the event may remain a part of Sydney culture for some time.

The after parade party is one the largest ongoing party events in the country. Mardi Gras post-Parade Party attendances at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion / Royal Hall of Industries peaked in 2000 with 24,000 tickets sold ^[2]. In the years since 17,000 to 20,000 tickets are consistently sold, an extraordinary explosion since the first Parade Ball held in 1980 at the Paddington Town Hall, a BYO event which attracted 700 guests.

[edit] Mardi Gras today

Fair Day 2007 "Sea of Hearts" artwork in the park

February is Mardi Gras time in Sydney. In 2007, the festival runs from 2nd February to 3rd March. Normally, the launch is held at the Sydney Opera House, but organisers have decided to gradually reveal the venue by SMS (text messages) to the public.

The festival's live entertainment including cabarets, comedy, music and theatre. The 14th Mardi Gras Film Festival will showcase 10 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 part of the festival.

Fair Day, which is held mid festival at Victoria Park, is a day-time event attended by 65,000. The following weekend, the same park hosts the Pool Party. It commences just before sunset and there is non-stop entertainment for 1000 lycra-clad guests.

On Saturday, 3rd March, the Parade winds its way from Hyde Park, through the heart of gay and lesbian Sydney, to the biggest dance party in Australia. The main theme for 2007 is "Objects of Love". Boy George will support many local and other intenational DJs to the early hours. There will also be live performances from Paul Mac, Bob Downe, Vanessa Wagner, and other artists.

For many years a fully themed, magazine style guide with information on all events has been produced, and a multi-disc compilation album is often released in conjunction with the festival.