Sydney Mardi Gras

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Sydney Mardi Gras
Sydney Mardi Gras.jpg
A reveler in the
2007 Sydney Mardi Gras
Begins Second Thurdsay in February
Ends First Saturday in March
Frequency Annually
Location(s) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Years active 33
Inaugurated 1979
Most recent 3 March 2012
Participants 9,100 Parade 2012[1]
15,300 Party 2012[1]
Attendance 300,000 Parade 2011[2]
70,000 Fair Day
Genre LGBTQI pride parade and festival
Website http://www.mardigras.org.au

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,[3] 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,[4] generating an annual income of about A$30 million for the state of New South Wales. It is New South Wales’ second-largest event in terms of economic impact.[5]

The celebrations emerged during the early 1980s after arrests were made during pro-gay rights protests 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.[6]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] 1970s

On 24 June 1978 at 10 pm as a night-time celebration following a morning protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall Riots[7] 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.[8] 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responded to the call "Out of the bars and into the streets!".[9] Although the organisers had obtained permission, this was revoked, and the march was broken up by the police. 53 of the marchers were arrested.[10] Although most charges were eventually dropped, The Sydney Morning Herald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.[11] Only two people who were arrested were fined.[12] The rest were released without bail and the charges dismissed. The police response to a legal, local minority protest transformed it into a nationally significant event which stimulated gay rights and law reform campaigns.[9]

The first Mardi Gras Parade occurred in 1979 in recognition of the impact of the Stonewall Riots commemoration march of the previous year 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 (NSW) under which the two arrests in 1978 were made.[12] The second Mardi Gras had the theme of Power in the Darkness.[12] While there was a large police presence, there were no arrests made.

[edit] 1980 to 1999

In 1980, no parade was held, but following community consultation, decisions were made to move the parade to the summer.[8] In 1981, the parade was shifted to February, with the name changed to the "Sydney Gay Mardi Gras".[10] An increasingly large number of people not only participated in the now summertime event, but a crowd of 5,000 came to watch it.[13] 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.[12] 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.[12] In 1987, an estimated 100,000 people came to watch the parade.[14] 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.[8]

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.[14] In 1992, the festival lasted for four weeks, making it the largest gay and lesbian festival in the world.[14] By 1993, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade had become the largest night time outdoor parade in the world.[14] Mardi Gras' Economic Impact Study found that the total Mardi Gras impact into the Australian economy was around A$38 million.[15] 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.[12] For the first time, the parade was filmed by the ABC TV and shown on Sunday 6 March at 8.30 pm. It won its time slot and earned ABC TV its highest ratings in history.[8] The 1997 parade was covered by Libbi Gorr's current affairs show McFeast on ABC TV.[16] An Aboriginal man dressed as Captain Cook and Aboriginal float led the parade in 1988, 200 years after Cook's landing and claim on the land.[17]

[edit] Recent history

The 2001 Parade was broadcast on Network Ten and had a theme of gay and lesbian parenting.[16] The 2002 event saw a loss of A$400,000.[18] In August the organising company was bankrupt.[19] In 2003, the festival organisers responded to claims that the event was becoming too commercialised by implemented a scaled-down, grassroots approach.[20] The 2009 performance figures indicated about 9,500 participants and 134 floats were part of the parade, making it the largest ever.[21] Up to 300,000 spectators from Australia and overseas turned out in 2011 for the celebrations.[2]

In early 2011, members of the organisation unanimously voted to include intersex formally into the organisation at the Annual General Meeting and adopt the formal use of the LGBTQI acronym. To allow for greater inclusion of the LGBTQI community it represents (including those identifying as bisexual, transexual, queer and intersex), on 17 November 2011 the festival and event organisers changed the event name to "Sydney Mardi Gras". On the same date the organisation reverted to its former name, "Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras" (from "New Mardi Gras"),[22] as more than 9,100 participants joined in the 2012 Parade, on 134 floats.[1]

[edit] Mardi Gras Parade

External media
Images
2009 Parade
Videos
2005 Parade
2012 Pool Party

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 Gays, 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 kilometres (1.1 mi) through the Sydney CBD and Darlinghurst.[6]

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:

  • 2004 - Monica Hingston, former nun and cousin of Cardinal George Pell [23]
  • 2007 - Rupert Everett, gay actor
  • 2008 - Margaret Cho, bisexual American comedian
  • 2009 - Matthew Mitcham, Australian Olympic gold-medalist, world record holder and 2008 Australian Sports Performer of the Year
  • 2010 - Amanda Lepore, transgender model/performer
  • 2011, instead of a single Chief of Parade leading the march, eight high-profile heroes were chosen to lead the Parade. These were Lily Tomlin, a gay actress and comedian; Peter Tatchell, a world-renowned gay rights campaigner; Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations at that time; Bev Lange, Chief Executive Officer of the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation at the time, a former President of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and a former co-chair of the Sydney Gay Games; Lex Watson and Sue Wills, Campaign Against Moral Prosecution's (CAMP) first Co-Presidents; and Hannah Williams and Savannah Supski, who had recently protested against the ban against same-sex couples at Hannah's Melbourne school formal.[24] The same year, Ignatius Jones consulted as Artistic Director to oversee the creative production of the Parade.
  • 2012 - Shelley Argent OAM, the national spokesperson for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and 2011 Queensland Senior Australian of the Year[25]

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 in its entirety. The Arena 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. In 2012, sponsors Optus broadcast delayed edited highlights of the parade via www.mardigrastv.org.au.

Despite its name, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is not held on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) or indeed, on a Tuesday at all.[26] In recent years, the Mardi Gras Parade has been on the first Saturday of March, with a festival of events going for approximately three weeks preceding it.

[edit] Mardi Gras Party (post Parade)

The post parade party is one the largest ongoing party events in the country.[citation needed] Mardi Gras Party attendances at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion / Royal Hall of Industries peaked in 1998 with 27,000 tickets sold.[27] 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.[28] Although, by the late first decade of the 21st century, ticket sales has begun to fall, with the 2012 post parade party selling out at 15,300 tickets.[1]

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:[29]

[edit] Mardi Gras Festival

By 1987 the festival included 35 separate events.[17] The 1998 festival was estimated to contribute $99 million to the Sydney economy.[19]

For many years a fully themed magazine style guide with information on all events has been produced. Several multi-disc Mardi Gras compilation albums were released in 1995,[14] 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.

[edit] Mardi Gras Fair Day

Fair Day 2007 "Sea of Hearts" by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby

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.[30] Approximately 250 volunteers assisted with 220 stalls made up of many LGBTQI community groups.[30]

[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, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Barry O'Farrell[31] as well as the present Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore.[32]

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.[33] 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[citation needed] 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".[34] Mardi Gras is featured in the programmes of tour operators which target the gay market.[19]

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.

[edit] Criticism and Opposition

Mardi Gras has consistently attracted opposition from numerous sources of various religious and political affiliations. Some argue Mardi Gras is inherently subversive to traditional Christian values.[12] 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.[35]

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.[10] 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.[36]

[edit] See also

Portal icon LGBT portal
Portal icon New South Wales portal
Portal icon Sydney portal


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mardi Gras awash with love". Star Online (Australia). 5 March 2012. http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2012/03/05/mardi-gras-awash-with-love/73455. Retrieved 6 March 2012. 
  2. ^ a b "Sydney Mardi Gras focuses on gay marriage". Ninemsn News. Australia. 5 March 2011. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8219935/mardi-gras-kicks-off-saturday-night. Retrieved 13 May 2011. 
  3. ^ Madeleine Coorey (23 March 2011). "Sydney's Mardi Gras pride of Aussie tourism". Yahoo News!. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110323/lf_afp/lifestyletourismaustraliagayfestival. Retrieved 8 April 2011. 
  4. ^ Sames, Christine (7 March 2004). "Statements and sequins on parade". The Sun-Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/06/1078464694779.html?from=storyrhs. Retrieved 25 February 2010. 
  5. ^ "Mardi Gras marchers push for gay marriage". ABC News (Australia). 6 March 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/05/3156173.htm. Retrieved 8 April 2011. 
  6. ^ a b Samandar, Lema (5 March 2011). "Sydney Mardi Gras focuses on gay marriage". Ninemsn News. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8219935/mardi-gras-kicks-off-saturday-night. Retrieved 8 April 2011. 
  7. ^ "Mardi Gras" (transcript). George Negus Tonight (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 1 March 2004. http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1056355.htm. Retrieved 7 July 2008. 
  8. ^ a b c d Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Information Kit. 1997.
  9. ^ a b Irving, Terry; Cahill, Rowan (2010). Radical Sydney: Places, Portraits and Unruly Episodes. Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press. pp. 326—327. ISBN 9781742230931. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=fm1sh48vld0C. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  10. ^ a b c "Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras". Australian Museum. http://austmus.gov.au/bodyart/painting/mardigras.htm. Retrieved 7 July 2008. 
  11. ^ "New South Wales Year Book, 1998". Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/a890e87a9ab97424ca2569de0025c18b!OpenDocument. Retrieved 7 July 2008. 
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Watson, Sophie (1999). "City Politics". In Pile, Steve; Brook, Christopher; Mooney, Gerry. Unruly Cities?. London: Routledge. pp. 218—221. ISBN 020398353X. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=o5XTUxMSQvgC&. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  13. ^ Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 1993 Information Pack
  14. ^ a b c d e Smith, Melanie K. (2003). Issues in cultural tourism studies. London: Routledge. pp. 151—152. ISBN 0415256372. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=YT_uqD4G94sC. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  15. ^ Marsh, Ian (1993). Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras: An Evaluation of its Economic Impact. 
  16. ^ a b Best, Gary (2005). "Media Makes Mardi Gras Tourism Mecca". In Crouch, David; Jackson, Rhona; Thompson, Felix. The media and the tourist imagination: Converging cultures. Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. pp. 34—36. ISBN 0415326257. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=yWpD0RzR5jUC. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  17. ^ a b Smith, Melanie K. (2003). Issues in cultural tourism studies. Routledge. p. 151. ISBN 0415256380. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=YT_uqD4G94sC. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 
  18. ^ Binnie, John (2004). The Globalisation of Sexuality. London: Sage Publications. p. 86. ISBN 0761959351. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=U4mtwnsKm_cC. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  19. ^ a b c Hughes, Howard L. (2006). "Gay and Lesbian Festivals: Tourism in the Change from Politics to Party". In Picard, David; Robinson, Mike. Festivals, Tourism and Social Change: Remaking Worlds. Channel View Publications. p. 242. ISBN 1-84541-048-3. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=_seYzXRAOMAC. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 
  20. ^ Falconer, Delia (2010). Sydney. Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press. p. 190. ISBN 9781921410925. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=j1McOABPxEIC. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  21. ^ "Economic woes fail to rain on Mardi Gras parade". ABC News. Australia. 9 March 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/08/2510295.htm. Retrieved 17 June 2009. 
  22. ^ "Mardi Gras’ circle of love". Sydney Star Observer. http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2011/11/17/mardi-gras-circle-of-love/65898. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  23. ^ Barney Zwartz (4 March 2004). "Cardinal Pell's cousin to lead Mardi Gras". www.theage.com.au (The Age Company). http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/03/1078295445710.html. Retrieved 4 March 2012. 
  24. ^ Cook, Henriette (10 November 2010). "Girls interrupted: same-sex couple banned from ball". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/girls-interrupted-samesex-couple-banned-from-ball-20101109-17m29.html. Retrieved 15 May 2011. 
  25. ^ "Shelley Argent OAM for Sydney Mardi Gras Chief of Parade" (Press release). Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. 2012. http://www.mardigras.org.au/about-us/news/shelley-argent-oam-for-sydney-mardi-gras-chief-of-parade/index.cfm. Retrieved 6 March 2012. 
  26. ^ "Mardi Gras 2009 Parade". New Mardi Gras. mardigras.org.au. http://mardigras.org.au/internal.cfm?sub=Parade&nav=Mardi%20Gras%202009. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  27. ^ Pinkboard Mardi Gras History 90s
  28. ^ "Pinkboard Mardi Gras History 80s". http://www.pinkboard.com.au/history/mardigras/mardigras80s.html. 
  29. ^ "Pinkboard History of Post Parade Parties". Party details, including poster artwork for each party. http://www.pinkboard.com.au/history/mardigras/. 
  30. ^ a b "Fair Day". Sydney Gay and Lesbain Mardi Gras. 16 November 2010. http://www.mardigras.org.au/mardi-gras-2012/fair-day/index.cfm. 
  31. ^ "Liberals pledge support to grow Mardi Gras". New Mardi Gras. http://www.mardigras.org.au/about-us/news/liberals-pledge-support-to-grow-mardi-gras/index.cfm. 
  32. ^ "Gay and Lesbian Issues". Clover Moore Political Website. http://www.clovermoore.com/main/?id=6. 
  33. ^ "Massive crowds line Oxford St for Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras". AAP. 28 February 2010. http://www.news.com.au/national/massive-crowds-celebrate-mardi-gras/story-e6frfkvr-1225835119458. 
  34. ^ Markwell, Kevin (2002). "Mardi Gras Tourism and the Construction of Sydney as an International Gay and Lesbian City". GLQ: A Journal of Gay and Lesbian Studies. http://glq.dukejournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/8/1-2/81. 
  35. ^ Marr, David (5 January 2008). "The power of one". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-power-of-one/2008/01/04/1198950075839.html. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
  36. ^ "Row erupts in Australia over 'gay' Jesus play: report". AFP. 19 January 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iV-Zj0amGhXt70sCw8uQ3JmjrwIg. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sydney Mardi Gras

Coordinates: 33°52′50″S 151°13′02″E / 33.88068°S 151.21719°E / -33.88068; 151.21719

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