Sydney鈥檚 Mardi Gras聽parade is returning to Oxford Street on February 25, after being held in the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for two years during the pandemic. On its 45th anniversary, the parade is being incorporated into , a two-week festival celebrating LGBTIQ people.
The parade is expected to attract record numbers to march for LGBTIQ rights. This is because it will return to its original protest site and it is the centrepiece of Australia鈥檚 first ever WorldPride 2023.
鈥淎fter two years delivering the world-class Parade through the pandemic, we couldn鈥檛 be more excited to see the community unite once more on Oxford Street,鈥 Sydney Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said.
The return to Oxford Street is significant for the LGBTIQ community, because it makes the link back to its protest roots. Oxford Street is where the original 1978 gay and lesbian pride parade was attacked by New South Wales Police: 53 people were arrested and many were assaulted while in custody.
For many, the move to the SCG symbolised the growing influence of corporate pink washing on the parade, with sponsored floats and ticketed entry fees.
At last year鈥檚 parade, 鈥78er Barbara Karpinski聽was ejected from the SCG by police for holding a placard protesting the war in Ukraine.
This was condemned by Pride in Protest (PiP), a Sydney-based LGBTIQ activist group, which publicised an open letter denouncing the police presence at the parade, and urged聽the Mardi Gras board to remember the origins of the parade.
PiP has long condemned the corporatisation of Mardi Gras and the police鈥檚 inclusion in the parade聽because of its homophobic record.
PiP held a lively 鈥take back Oxford Street鈥澛爌rotest in 2021 and last year, despite police attempts to prevent it, citing pandemic restrictions.
More than 200 floats will be included in this year鈥檚 parade. However, according to the 聽last September, 30% of applications have been rejected 鈥 including the NSW Teachers鈥 Federation (NSWTF) and the Gender Centre.
Of the approved floats, 14% are corporate sponsors. But there is still contention about the approval process, with veteran marchers and LGBTIQ services being rejected.
The NSWTF has marched in the parade for the past 10 years. Mardi Gras co-chair Jesse Matheson claimed the knock back was due to high demand. However, the NSW Department of Education聽has a float 鈥 for the first time. Given how teachers are being treated by the department, some are not happy about participating in the department鈥檚 float.
Despite being a leading provider of services to the transgender community in NSW, the Gender Centre was also denied a spot. 鈥淲e provide over 90 per cent of trans-specific services to the community in NSW,鈥 health and communications manager Eloise Brook told the . 鈥淲e鈥檙e big 鈥 and it鈥檚 our birthday.鈥
The centre marks its 40th anniversary this year, and members of the transgender community believe that its exclusion from the parade highlights just how out of touch Mardi Gras organisers are.
[Pride in Protest is holding a 聽on February 19. 91自拍论坛 is hosting a forum, on February 28 at the Sydney Resistance Centre.]