Mardi Gras prott march to go ahead Sydney after last-mute Covid exemptn granted | Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras | The Guardian

gay protest sydney

Dpe the 1978 prott settg the scene for the evolutn of Atralian gay rights and one of the biggt LGBTQ+ celebratns the world, some hold ncerns rporat are edgg out the activism that once lay at the heart of Mardi Gras

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TWO ARRTED AFTER VLENT CLASH OUTSI SYDNEY CHURCH AHEAD OF MARK LATHAM SPEECHPOLICE SAY THE RT SQUAD AND OPERATNAL SUPPORT WERE LLED TO DISPERSE A NONTATN BETWEEN LGBTIQ+ ACTIVISTS AND UNTER-PROTTERS.POLICE SAID ABOUT 500 PEOPLE WERE VOLVED VLENT PROTTS SYDNEY OUTSI A CHURCH WHERE MARK LATHAM WAS DUE TO GIVE A SPEECH. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / TWTERKEY POTSTWO MEN HAVE BEEN ARRTED AND CHARGED FOLLOWG VLENT PROTTS OUTSI A CHURCH BELFIELD.THE CINT TOOK PLACE OUTSI A CHURCH WHERE NSW ONE NATN LEAR MARK LATHAM WAS SCHLED TO SPEAK.POLICE SAID A NUMBER OF GLASS BOTTL AND OTHER PROJECTIL WERE THROWN AT POLICE.VLENCE HAS MARRED THE NSW ELECTN MPAIGN TRAIL WH THE RT SQUAD BEG LLED AFTER AN OUT-OF-NTROL CLASH BETWEEN PROTT GROUPS ON A SYDNEY STREET.TWO PEOPLE WERE CHARGED AFTER THE PROTT OUTSI A CHURCH SYDNEY'S SOUTHWT, WHERE NSW ONE NATN LEAR MARK LATHAM WAS SCHLED TO GIVE A SPEECH AHEAD OF SATURDAY'S ELECTN.POLICE SAY THE RT SQUAD AND OPERATNAL SUPPORT OFFICERS WERE LLED TO DISPERSE THE CROWD, WHICH HAD GATHERED OUTSI ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH BELFIELD AT ABOUT 5PM ON TUDAY.LGBTIQ+ ACTIVISTS COMMUNY ACTN FOR RABOW RIGHTS WERE PROTTG WHAT THEY EXPECTED TO BE AN "ANTI-TRANS" SPEECH BUT WERE QUICKLY OUTNUMBERED BY HUNDREDS OF UNTER-PROTTERS OM CHRISTIAN LIV MATTER.OFFICERS ARRIVED TO FD ABOUT 500 PEOPLE CLASHG VLENT SCUFFL."A NUMBER OF GLASS BOTTL AND OTHER PROJECTIL WERE THROWN AT POLICE," POLICE SAID A STATEMENT.FOOTAGE SHOWED POLICE OFFICERS SHIELDG LGBTIQ+ ACTIVISTS OM AN ANGRY MOB OF MOSTLY MEN, WHO SHOUTED HOMOPHOBIC SLURS AND ALSO SCRIBED THE PROTTERS AS "DOGS". ANOTHER VIO POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA APPEARED TO SHOW UNTER-PROTTERS TELLG LGBTIQ+ ACTIVISTS TO "F**K OFF BACK TO NEWTOWN".A GLASS BOTTLE STCK A MALE NSTABLE WHO WAS TAKEN TO CANTERBURY HOSPAL A STABLE NDN WH AN JURED HAND, WHILE A 38-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS PHED TO THE GROUND AND ASSLTED.THE ONE NATN LEAR LATER TWEETED ABOUT THE CLASH, SAYG HE HAD BEEN VED TO TALK AT AN ELECTN PUBLIC MEETG ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS AND PROCEED WH HIS SPEECH.READ MOREMARK LATHAM JOS PLE HANSON'S ONE NATN"I DIDN'T SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ONT STREET BUT I SCERELY NVEY MY BT WISH TO THOSE JURED AND THANK THE POLICE OFFICERS VOLVED FOR THEIR WORK," HE SAID."A POLICIAN NNG FOR ELECTED OFFICE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE HIS SPEECH WHOUT THAT KD OF ACTN," HE TOLD SYDNEY RAD 2GB ON WEDNDAY."THEY N PROTT ON THE FOOTPATH BUT NOT BLOCKG ROADS AND ACTUALLY BLOCKG ACCS TO THE CHURCH," HE SAID."NO ONE SHOULD TAKE THE LAW TO THEIR OWN HANDS. VLENCE AT POLIL EVENTS IS WRONG," HE TWEETED.MR LATHAM AND LGBTIQ+ ACTIVISTS HAVE LONG CLASHED OVER GENR ISSU WH THE ONE NATN STATE LEAR WANTG LEGISLATN BANNG DISCSN OF GENR DIVERSY CLASSROOMS.A "PARENTAL RIGHTS" BILL HE ONCE PROPOSED WOULD HAVE BANNED TEACHERS OM DISCSG "THE IOLOGY OF GENR FLUIDY TO CHILDREN SCHOOLS" AND PREVENTED SCHOOLS OM SUPPORTG TRANSGENR STUNTS WHOUT PARENTAL NSENT.NSW LABOR LEAR CHRIS MNS SCRIBED THE VLENCE AS UNFORTUNATE."I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A MPAIGN WHERE THERE ARE NO SCEN, WHERE PEOPLE N GET THE VIEWS OUT TO THE PEOPLE OF NSW TO MAKE THEIR LLS," HE SAID ON NE'S TODAY SHOW.INPENNT SYDNEY MP ALEX GREENWICH - WHO IS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY MEMBER OF THE LOWER HOE - MENTED THAT "WORDS AND HATE N LEAD TO VLENCE"."THIS ELECTN WE HAVE SEEN A SMALL BUT LOUD GROUP OF CEL AND LAZY POLICIANS TARGET THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY FOR ATTENTN," HE TWEETED.READ MOREPROTTERS MARCH THROUGH NEWTOWN CHANTG 'HAIL MARY' DURG WORLDPRI"THEY ARE A DISGRACE AND ALL MAJOR PARTY POLIL LEARS SHOULD LL OUT AND NMN ."GREENS MP JENNY LEONG SAID VLENCE WAS "NEVER OKAY - NOT ON PEACEFUL PROTTERS - NOT ON ANYONE"."ONE NATN REPRENTATIV AND THE DISCRIMATORY VIEWS THEY SPEW OUT HAVE A TOXIC FLUENCE ON OUR SOCIETY," SHE TWEETED.A 34-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS ARRTED AND CHARGED WH ENURAGG THE MISSN OF CRIM AND GIVEN NDNAL BAIL TO APPEAR BEFORE BANKSTOWN LOL COURT ON 11 APRIL.A 41-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS CHARGED WH MON ASSLT AND GIVEN AN ATTENDANCE NOTICE TO APPEAR BEFORE BANKSTOWN LOL COURT ON 30 MAY.SHARE4 M READPUBLISHED 22 MARCH 2023 8:29AMUPDATED 22 MARCH 2023 10:12AMSOURCE: AAPAVAILABLE OTHER LANGUAGTAGSSYDNEYSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU

* gay protest sydney *

“This is a massive w for not only the right to prott but for the queer muny to say that the fight agast transphobia and homophobia nnot wa, ” the group said a statement.

Earlier on Friday, the chief executive of the Sydney Mardi Gras said his anisatn was not gog to support the march bee uld not ndone protts vlatn of NSW public health march is due to take place on Saturday afternoon ahead of the official Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para, which has been moved to the Sydney Cricket Ground due to Covid-19 10, 000 people are expected at the Mardi Gras para at the SCG. Another rally, held last Saturday Sydney, featured a wi aln of relig groups, wh speakers suggtg children need to be protected om an agenda of “homosexualisatn” Vivienne, 53, is no stranger to anti-trans hate.

NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY

Lidia Thorpe’s temporary blockg of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Para on Saturday night has aga brought to the surface discsn on the role of prott and police discretn. * gay protest sydney *

When activists June 1978 wanted to get gay men to prott for their rights Sydney, they cid to nsir a party and lled “Mardi Gras”. “Out of the bars and to the streets” was the chant as protters went om venue to venue along Oxford Street to llect new participants a prott llg for the end of the crimalisatn of homosexualy.

78’ers om the first Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras, Peter Waal, right, and Robyn Plaister. Photograph: Glenn Campbell/AAPThe NRL and the NSW Teachers’ Feratn are among those reportedly cut om the para creasg mercialisatn of the prott and the cln of rporatns and polil parti which at tim are seen to work agast the terts of the LGBTQ+ muny remas an ongog source of tensn for the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras. “We choose partners who reflect the valu held closely by the LGBTQIA+ muny, ” he Gras, Day of Internatnal Gay Solidary, Kgs Cross, 24 June 1978.

THE PROTTS THAT BEGAN MARDI GRASIN SYDNEY, ON THE NIGHT OF 24 JUNE, 1978, POLICE CRACKED DOWN ON A MARCH CELEBRATG GAY AND LBIAN SOLIDARY. IT WAS JT THE START OF WHAT WOULD BEE THE WORLD FAMO SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRASBY ANDREW TROUNSON, UNIVERSY OF MELBOURNESHARE SELECTN TO:THE SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS IS THE WORLD’S LARGT ANNUAL CELEBRATN OF LGBT+ PEOPLE AND ONE OF ATRALIA’S BIGGT SGLE TOURIST ATTRACTNS. AN TIMATED 300,000 PEOPLE TURNED OUT FOR THE 2018 PARA MARCH, HIGHLIGHTG JT HOW MASTREAM LGBT+ CULTURE HAS BEE HERE. AND ONLY FOUR MONTHS EARLIER MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF THE UNTRY VOTED SUPPORT OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LAWS.LANCE DAY AND FELLOW 78ERS DANCE DURG PREPARATNS FOR THE 2018 MARDI GRAS. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGBUT FOR PROFSOR VERY BURGMANN, ONE OF ATRALIA’S LEADG POLIL SCIENTISTS AND AN EXPERT ON PROTT MOVEMENTS, BEG THIS YEAR’S PARA WAS NOTHG LS THAN SURREAL. ON 24 JUNE 1978, SHE HAD BEEN PART OF THE FIRST MARDI GRAS - A NIGHT TIME STREET PROTT-E PARTY SUPPORTG GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS ALONG SYDNEY’S INIC OXFORD STREET. ON THAT NIGHT, STEAD OF CHEERS, BALLOONS AND SEQUS, THE MARCHERS WERE MET BY A VLENT POLICE CRACKDOWN AS PROTTORS WERE GRABBED, BEATEN AND THROWN GAOL, LEAVG MANY TRMATISED FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS.BACK THEN, HOMOSEXUALY WAS ILLEGAL NEW SOUTH WAL AND MONISED AS IMMORAL BY SOME OR NSIRED AN ILLNS BY OTHERS.WHY MORE ATRALIANS ARE SUPPORTG GAY RIGHTSREAD MORE“I REMEMBER BEG ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYG,” SAYS PROFSOR BURGMANN, WHO BEME THE FIRST FEMALE PROFSOR OF POLIL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSY OF MELBOURNE 2003 AND IS NOW AN HONORARY PROFSORIAL FELLOW THE ESCHOLARSHIP REARCH CENTRE. “THE CHURCH WAS SAYG WAS A S, THE MEDIL PROFSN WAS SAYG WAS AN ILLNS AND THE STATE WAS SAYG WAS A CRIME. BUT THE OVER-REACTN BY THE POLICE STILL UGHT ALL BY SURPRISE.”PROFSOR BURGMANN WAS JT 25 AT THE TIME AND ACTIVE SOCIALIST POLICS AND PROTT. SHE WAS THERE WH GAY AND LBIAN RAS TO MONSTRATE SOLIDARY WH ANOTHER PROGRSIVE E.“I DON’T RELL UNPLEASANTNS OM THE PUBLIC WATCHG. WE WERE MARCHG AT THE BACK AND WORD ME DOWN TO THAT THE POLICE HAD GONE BERSERK UP ONT, AND THAT’S WHEN WE REALISED THAT SOMETHG SER WAS HAPPENG. WE LKED ARMS AND STAYED TOGETHER FOR SAFETY. BUT WE GOT OFF LIGHTLY. IT WAS THE GAY AND LBIAN ACTIVISTS AT THE ONT WHO GOT HAMMERED.”IN ALL 53 PEOPLE WERE ARRTED, AND THE SYDNEY MORNG HERALD NEWSPAPER WOULD LATER NAME THEN ALL, CLUDG THEIR OCCUPATNS AND THEIR ADDRS, EFFECTIVELY “OUTG” SOME.IN HER 1993 BOOK POWER AND PROTT, PROFSOR BURGMANN WR THAT THE MORE RADIL GAY AND LBIAN ACTIVISM OM THE EARLY 1970S, WHICH PROMPTED THE POLICE VLENCE 1978, WAS NOHELS PIVOTAL THE MOVEMENT’S ULTIMATE SUCCS CHANGG IAS AND LEGISLATN. RADILISM, SHE SAYS, IS A CRIL GREDIENT FOR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS DATG BACK TO AT LEAST THE SUFAGETT BRA THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.INSTEAD OF CHEERG CROWDS, PROTTORS 1978 WERE MET WH A VLENT POLICE CRACKDOWN. PICTURE: GETTY IMAG“IN THE 1970S PROBABLY THE MAJORY OF PEOPLE WERE HOMOPHOBIC, TO VARYG GRE. BEG HOMSEXUAL WAS SEEN AS WRONG SOME WAY. THAT WAS WHY WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE MOVEMENT TO SHIFT OM NOT JT SAYG THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS OK AND SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL, BUT TO STAND UP AND BE PROUD AND MAND PLETE ACCEPTANCE,” SHE SAYS.“THE GAY PRI MOVEMENT OM 1971 WAS SAYG BEG GAY OR LBIAN IS GOOD, AND THAT SHIFT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE PEOPLE THE MASTREAM START THKG THAT PERHAPS HOMOSEXUALY WASN’T BAD.“POLIL SCIENTISTS LL THE RADIL FLANK EFFECT, WHICH IS THAT YOU N CHANGE MASTREAM ATTUS AND SECURE MORATE REFORMS BY MANDG MUCH MORE, BY TAKG AN EXTREMIST POSN THAT MOST PEOPLE WON’T AGREE WH BUT WHICH NOHELS HELPS TO SHIFT ATTUS BEE THE MORATE REFORM POSN EMERG AS THE SENSIBLE MIDDLE GROUND.”THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHTREAD MORESHE SAYS THE “RADIL FLANK” HAS BEEN CRIL TO MANY MAJOR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.“THE OPPOSN TO THE VIETNAM WAR HAD RADILS TYPIFYG THE US AS AN IMPERIALIST AGGRSOR AND SUPPORTG THE VIET CONG, SO THE MAJORY OF PEOPLE AT LAST WERE PERSUAD NSCRIPTN FOR THIS NTENT WAR WAS WRONG, AND THE US CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE BLACK PANTHERS WERE A MORE RADIL UNTER POT TO MART LUTHER KG JR, WHO THEREFORE BEME A SATLY FIGURE STANDG UP AGAST RACIAL TOLERANCE AND JTICE.“A MOVEMENT BENEFS OM HAVG A RADIL FLANK BUT WORKS BT IF THERE IS ALSO A STRONG MIDDLE GROUND OF PEOPLE WHO N BEE FAVOURED BY THOSE POWER ANX TO RCE THE THREAT OM THE RADILS,” SAYS PROFSOR BURGMANN.“WOMEN’S ADVISERS AND OTHER FEMOCRATS ATRALIA ACHIEVED HEAPS, BUT THEY GOT THEIR APPOTMENTS THE RRIDORS OF POWER BEE OF HOW ANGRY THE RADIL WOMEN’S LIBERATN MOVEMENT HAD BEE THE 1970S AND HOW MUCH THE ‘PATRIARCHY’ FELT ALARMED BY THIS RADILISM.“THE GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAD THE GAY PRI PEOPLE WHO ARGUED ‘GAY IS GOOD’ AND WERE PREPARED TO THROW EGGS AT PSYCHIATRISTS WHO ADVOTED ‘AVERSN THERAPY’ OR HECKLE FUNDAMENTALIST NSERVATIVE RELIG TYP LIKE REVEREND FRED NILE. THE PROTT TOOK PLACE ON A NIGHT JUNE, THE MARDI GRAS’ DATE HAS SCE BEEN MOVED TO MARCH. PICTURE: GETTY IMAG“BUT THERE WERE ALSO MORE MORATE LAW REFORM ASSOCIATNS AND UNSELLG SERVIC THAT WERE LOBBYG ERNMENTS TO CRIMALISE AND THEN OUTLAW DISCRIMATN. IT WAS THE GAY PRI RADILS WHO ENABLED THE MORAT TO SUCCEED, BEE THE MORATE LAW REFORMERS ME TO BE SEEN AS THE VOICE OF PROMISE AND REASON.”LOOKG TO THE FUTURE SHE N SEE THE TRANSGENR MOVEMENT GAG TRACTN AS WELL AS THE MOVEMENT TARGETG MALE VLENCE AGAST WOMEN. ONLY THIS MONTH THE RAPE AND MURR OF EURYDICE DIXON MELBOURNE GALVANISED 10,000 PEOPLE TO ATTEND A VIGIL AT THE MURR SE.“AT LAST WHEN SOMETHG HORRIFIC LIKE THIS HAPPENS EVEN THE POLICE, AND CERTALY THE SMART POLICIANS, REALISE THEY N’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BLAMG THE VICTIM AND JT TELLG WOMEN THEY NEED TO PROTECT THEMSELV, BUT ARE NOW TALKG ABOUT HOW SOCIETY HAS TO SIST THAT MEN STOP BEHAVG BADLY.”THE PROBLEM OF A SAME SEX MARRIAGE EXEMPTN FOR CIVIL CELEBRANTSREAD MOREAND GIVEN HOW FAR SOCIETY HAS E ON GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS, SHE SAYS SHE IS OPTIMISTIC THAT PROGRSIVE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS N NTUE TO MAKE GROUND. ON THAT LD EVENG JUNE, PROFSOR BURGMANN SAYS SHE SIMPLY ULDN’T HAVE IMAGED AN ATRALIA THAT WOULD VOTE FAVOUR OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE.“IT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDARY CHANG ATTUS AND LEGISLATN THAT I HAVE EVER WNSED. IT IS A FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT.”THAT VLENTLY REPRSED PROTT IS NOW MEMORATED EVERY MARDI GRAS, THOUGH THANKFULLY FOR THOSE THE SKIMPY OUTFS, HAS BEEN MOVED TO WARMER MARCH.PROFSOR BURGMANN WH DR GRAHAM WILLETT LAST YEAR PLETED A PROJECT TO DIGISE OVER 200 HISTORIL DOCUMENTS OM THE GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS GOG BACK TO 1969 AND MA THEM ACCSIBLE ON THE WEBSE REASON REVOLT: SOURCE DOCUMENTS OF ATRALIAN RADILISM, HOSTED BY THE ESCHOLARSHIP REARCH CENTRE AT THE UNIVERSY OF MELBOURNE. THE PROJECT WAS FUND BY THE ATRALIAN LBIAN AND GAY ARCHIV AND UNIVERSY OF MELBOURNE. BANNER IMAGE: FAIRFAX MEDIAFIRST PUBLISHED ON 22 JUNE 2018 HUMANILGBTIQA+SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRASPROTT MOVEMENTSRADILISMSOCIAL CHANGESTART THE NVERSATN ON FACEBOOKLOADG NVERSATN...SORRY, SOMETHG PREVENTED THE FACEBOOK MENTS FEED OM LOADG. HUMANIFEATUREDPROFSOR VERY BURGMANNHONORARY PROFSORIAL FELLOW; DIRECTOR, REASON REVOLT, ESCHOLARSHIP REARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSY OF MELBOURNESHARE: FACEBOOKTWTERLKEDINMEDIA AND REPUBLITNTERMS OF ECLOSEREPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WE BELIEVE THE EE FLOW OF RMATN. THIS WORK IS LICENSED UNR A CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTN-NO DERIVATIV 3.0 ATRALIA (CC BY-ND 3.0 AU), SO YOU N REPUBLISH OUR ARTICL FOR EE, ONLE OR PRT.ALL REPUBLISHED ARTICL MT BE ATTRIBUTED THE FOLLOWG WAY AND NTA LKS TO BOTH THE SE AND ORIGAL ARTICLE: “THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON PURSU. READ THE ORIGAL ARTICLE.”THE PROTTS THAT BEGAN MARDI GRAS

Forty years on om the beatg of gay activists, the 2018 march will rry special ronance. * gay protest sydney *

Inpennt senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe’s temporary blockg of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Para on Saturday night has aga brought to the surface discsn on the role of prott and police discretn. Highlightg of a range of msag through the media has been tegral to the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para’s evolutn.

‘CHRISTIAN LIV MATTER’ PROTTERS TRY TO DROWN OUT GAY NCERT WH PRAYERS AND TONE-AF HYMNS

Sydney's Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras was born of a police attack on prottors. A Universy of Melbourne expert rells the night and the importance of radils" name="scriptn * gay protest sydney *

From a lol prott 1978 nnected to the ternatnal gay and lbian liberatn movement, ’s bee an ternatnal event s own right. The para was central to raisg awarens of the issu facg gay men and lbians the 1970s. The Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para sce that time has raised awarens about the stigma facg people wh HIV/AIDS, the fight for marriage equaly, and the wir issu facg LGBTIQ+ peopl.

The policg of the 2013 Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras gaed global attentn after a bystanr vio of police excsive force agast a spectator went viral. Pri Prott seeks to brg back the radil roots of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras to brg about social jtice change.

OPNSSM: REMEMBERG THE RISE OF SYDNEY'S LGBTI MOVEMENT AMID PROTTS AND GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISM

A group of 'Christian Liv Matter' protters staged a prott Sydney an attempt to drown out a gay variety show outsi a thedral. * gay protest sydney *

A protter beg removed om the para route by the police durg the 42nd annual Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para Sydney, Saturday, Febary 29, 2020. Image source, Atralian Lbian and Gay ArchivImage ptn, The 1978 Mardi Gras began as a peaceful march, but end vlentlyOn Saturday, Sydney's famo Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras marks s 40th anniversary - and s first celebratn sce Atralia legalised same-sex marriage. For Ms Rowe, a 27-year-old English immigrant who had spent a lifetime grapplg wh her sexualy and was newly sober after years of substance abe, had been a good day, a clear moment time when everythg her life seemed was marchg wh her iends, fellow gay and lbian activists, part of band of few hundred marchers gathered for Sydney's first ever Mardi Gras.

It was the harbour's cy ntributn to Gay Solidary Day, a seri of celebratns that sprang up around the world after the Stonewall rts, sparked by a vlent police raid on a New York gay bar source, Kate RoweImage ptn, Kate Rowe, pictured now, says the 1978 para was a talyst for "momento change"The mood that night was more celebratory than polil, Ms Rowe rells, but there was a ser civil rights msage to 1970s Atralia were an opprsive - and ocsnally dangero - time to be gay. Homosexualy was still illegal New South Wal (NSW) 1978, and gay Atralians grappled daily wh unchecked homophobia.

It was part of Atralia's historic social nservatism, Ms Rowe believ, and was reflected everythg om a culture of police btaly and gay bashgs to abive language and discrimatn at Gillpie, now a Universy of Sydney amic, was a marcher that day.

?? THE SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS

Julie McCross was 13 when she first felt the creepg sensatns of shame, fear and dread when she realised she was a lbian, some 20 years before she was swept up the "explosn" of gay rights activism. * gay protest sydney *

She was thrown to a cell wh 23 other terrified women before beg charged wh offensive language unr the ntroversial Summary Offenc source, Atralian Lbian and Gay ArchivImage ptn, The origal marchers are now referred to as "78ers"She would almost lose her job as a rult, and be outed the most public manner possible when her tails were published - along wh the 52 others arrted - the Sydney Morng the civil rights genie was out of the bottle, says Ms Rowe.

Four of the first marchers the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras look back as Rt, a film based on their experienc, to televisn screens * gay protest sydney *

Rollg monstratns and prott march agast police btaly epted on the back of a "drop the charg" mpaign by gay activists and civil libertarians.

Eventually people power triumphed when the Summary Offenc Act was repealed May 1979, followed by the crimalisatn of homosexualy NSW 1984. Two years ago, the activists received an official apology over the 1978 ptn, Same-sex marriage - the moment last year when Atralia said yThat vlence-marred first para had turned out to be a fulcm, enterg the history books as one of the biggt civil rights ton Atralian gay activist and thor Graham Willett would chronicle, the 1978 Mardi Gras was the "most dramatic moment of the backlash" agast the mpaign for gay Ms Rowe, certaly, was a personal turng pot and "a talyst for the momento change we've seen 40 years later - I am forever proud to be part of that swch, that moment" year, on 3 March, Ms Rowe will be part of a 240-strong band of "78ers" - the term btowed on that origal band of marchers - as part of the now ternatnally renowned street para.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY PROTEST SYDNEY

? SYDNEY GAY and LESBIAN MARDI GRAS 2023 | Events.

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