#Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

[beefstrugglenoff]

Lesbian Brides' marching group, Mardi Gras 1994, C. Moore Hardy.

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Source: Lesbians On The Loose ( January 1995 • Issue 61 • Vol 6 No 1)

[page-28]

[lesbianlenses]

Listen here.

[heartsandstarsnation]

Matildas PRIDE Editions

PRIDE is just around the corner and who better than the Tillies to fly your flag with?

Matildas PRIDE Editions are now in store.

[saresmusings]

It takes balls to be a fairy, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 1983

By William Yang With kind permission of William Yang National Library of Australia

[archival-dodger]

Tonight marks the 45th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, one of the seminal moments in Australian queer history. Unfortunately— and in part because of the dominance of (US) American pride discourses, in part because of the transition of the parade from protest to celebration— there’s a general tendency to merely view Mardi Gras as ‘our Stonewall’ without understanding the broader context of Australian histories of sexuality and gender, or recognising the significant differences between Stonewall and Mardi Gras.

This year, I’m marking Mardi Gras by posting three excellent, accessible, and historically informed pieces on what happened on 24 June, 1978 & a piece about life for lgbtq+ elders, some of whom discuss the climate of the 70s and 80s:

ABC’s investigative, multimedia report on the 1st Mardi Gras— featuring interviews with the 78ers.

Sydney’s Mardi Gras: 40 Years of Pride and Protest— in pictures— Text by Nick Henderson, of the Australian Queer Archives.

The joy is waking up and liking who you are— Interviews with 6 lgbt+ elders, on their experiences growing up and growing to love who they are now.

It’s also worth noting that the ABC is airing a series on Australian queer history— Queerstralia— from Tuesday next week. Again, the Australian Queer Archives were one of the groups deeply involved in this, and I’m confident that it will be a genuine contribution to the public history of queer Australia.

Happy World Pride, and Happy Mardi Gras!

[asynca]

Anyone who’s interested in ‘Australia’s Stonewall Moment’ will be interested in reading about the ‘78ers: the first marchers in what they coined the ‘Mardi Gras’ which turned violent after police blocked them off and began to violently arrest people. 

Tonight, 45 years later, Sydney hosts World Pride 2023 and the 45th Mardi Gras parade and it’s a huge celebrated event. 

We’ve got a long way to go - but we also need to celebrate our tenacity, our survival and how far we’ve come. 

[realasslesbian]

Can us lesbians actually stop just letting casual homophobia slip by in movements that are supporting us for this hot second. Because y'all did that with the queers and the transes and now y'all doing that with the rad fems, and my old homosexual ass is telling you these rad fems ain't gonna keep supporting lesbians once they don't need us no more. So when you see these hetties bad-mouthing the rainbow or gender non-conformity or whatever even small ass thing, can we, for once, take no fucking quarter?

[i-should-be-so-lucky]

Kylie Minogue at Sydney Mardi Gras , 1998

[littlebug-boy]

MARDI GRAS TODAY

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Source: New Day Dawning; The Early Years Of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

[ennaih]

Sydney, Saturday 31 December 2022

[cy-cyborg]

If you're looking for suggestions, in Australia we do a lot of our big public pride events in February during Mardi Gras (2nd thursday of Feb to 1st Saturday in march), and have done since 1980 (technically it has been going since the 70's but it used to be held around easter I think, it was in the 80's they started the feb celebrations)

Like many other global pride events, it started as a protest for gay rights in Sydney, where many participants were attacked and arrested by police. Over time, it became an annual event to remember the original protest, but also to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

This is during our summer, but if you're looking for another time to celebrate with some relevance to queer history, it's an option for those in the northern hemisphere.

i will do my best to put this into action, myself in my own city, but i really want to see pride events that take place in months other than June. yes I understand the historical significance of these events taking place during the month of June, but the problem is summer time is not an accessible time of year for many disabled people. extreme heat and exposure to sunlight for long periods of time can cause many people to get sick or even need to be hospitalized.

psychotic people, people with heart conditions, people with autoimmune disorders, people with inflammatory bowel diseases, autistic people, schizophrenic people, people with fibromyalgia, people with POTS, people with ADHD, diabetic people, people with arthritis, and many, MANY other neurodivergent people and people with other chronic health issues struggle in hot weather. there are people who have seasonal affective depression that hit them the hardest during summer months. some people are taking medications that make them sensitive to heat and/or sunlight.

it becomes harder to navigate when you're hot and tired. for people who fatigue and exhaustion issues, they can become instantly drained of energy from sweating and standing in the hot sun. some people faint if they get too hot, some people vomit, some people need to be rushed to the hospital. there are a lot of health complications that can arise from someone overheating, or getting too much sunlight. dehydration becomes a massive risk during hot summer months, which can make anyone sick, but can be especially devastating for disabled people.

there usually aren't very many indoors events during pride month, due to the small amount of businesses which are willing to host such events on their property. while many queer businesses owners jump at the opportunity, and thankfully so, queer-owned businesses are far, far outshadowed by non-queer owned and operated businesses, which often leads us floundering to find safe places to hold events indoors during pride month.

i'm not suggesting replacing them, but rather fighting for events that take place outside of just june. this will benefit everyone for a multitude of reasons, but we especially owe it to disabled folks who can't celebrate outside or attend the parades like they want to. it's great to celebrate during the summer, when many people have plenty of time off to attend events. but for a lot of disabled, neurodivergent and chronically ill folks, summer is a very dangerous time of year. i understand the historical significance of when we celebrate these events.

[qnewsau]

Sydney Mardi Gras releases 2025 Lineup

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/sydney-mardi-gras-releases-2025-lineup/

Sydney Mardi Gras releases 2025 Lineup

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has just announced their 2025 festival and events lineup. 

The 2025 theme, Free To Be, aims to celebrate diversity and inclusivity for the whole community.

Highlights of the lineup include Hot Trans Summer, a boat party for trans people and allies, Ultra Violet, a day-to-night party for LGBQTI women, Blak and Deadly, a First Nations gala concert as well as Trixie Mattel’s Solid Pink Disco.

“Each year, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras brings people from all corners of the globe together for a celebration of community, visibility and progress. The 2025 festival embodies this spirit, reflecting the resilience, creativity and unity of our LGBTQIA+ communities,” CEO Gil Beckwith said.

“We are thrilled to welcome everyone to this year’s festivities and look forward to continuing to champion the values of inclusivity and equality.”

Bringing together over 200 food, retail, community stalls, and the iconic Doggywood pageant, Fair Day is also set to return after this year’s shock cancellation.

“Fair Day is more than just an event; it’s a beloved gathering for our community and one of the most inclusive days on our calendar,” Beckwith said.

“After a year’s hiatus, it’s wonderful to see Fair Day return. It’s a day where LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, friends, and allies come together to celebrate, connect, and share in our diverse culture. It’s a truly special event because it brings together all ages and backgrounds in a welcoming, joyous space, reminding us that everyone has a place in our community. [Fair Day] ha always been a cornerstone of Mardi Gras, and I’m thrilled to see it back this year.”

For more information, head to and head to mardigras.org.au.

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