The Unsung History of Circu Parti, Where Gay Men Seek Sex and Freedom

Contents:

• WHAT AND WHEN IS MARDI GRAS? WHAT'S ON DURG THE 2017 GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS?
• THE UNSUNG HISTORY OF CIRCU PARTI, WHERE GAY MEN SEEK SEX AND FREEDOM
• GAY SYDNEY
• GAY PARTI AND EVENTS SYDNEY

WHAT AND WHEN IS MARDI GRAS? WHAT'S ON DURG THE 2017 GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS?

It was Sydney's answer to the ternatnal Gay Solidary Celebratns that were takg place across Ameri, and prott of homophobic Ftival of Light mpaigner Mary Whehoe's vis to Atralia. Dty Haz at the official lnch event for the 2017 Gay and Lbian Mardi Steven SiewertHowever, the event was met wh police vlence, as 53 men and women, of the several hundred LGBTQI members and supporters marchg om Oxford Street to Hy Park, were arrted. This year, Mardi Gras falls on Tuday, Febary om the 2016 Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Jam BrickwoodThe 2017 Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Ftival ns Sydney for two weeks between Febary 17 and March 5.

Here are some of the highlights om the 2017 Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras ftival:Febary 19: Mardi Gras Fair Day 2017, Camperdown Memorial Rt Park (TBC), 10am - 8pmScen om the 2016 Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Jam BrickwoodA ee event that is expected to treat over 80, 000 people to live mic, dance tents, ternatnal cuise, lol vendors and lol LGBTQI anisatns. Febary 21-26: Koori Gras, 107 Projects, Feb 21, 6pm - Feb 26, 7pmHannah Conda wh one of the photographic displays to be ed 2017 champng the ia of equaly amongst the gay Steven SiewertIn 2016, Tim Bishop rearched and piled a chronology of First Peopl Participatn the Mardi Gras Para.

THE UNSUNG HISTORY OF CIRCU PARTI, WHERE GAY MEN SEEK SEX AND FREEDOM

While Oxford Street is still the se of many of the longt-nng gay clubs Sydney, the fun isn’t relegated to Darlghurst alone. If you’re keen to really make a night of , keep an eye on the lik of Heaps Gay, Poof Doof, Hoe of Mce, Honcho Disko and Birdge (as well as the social media-elive Kooky) to fd out when their next soiree start planng your next night out, read on for our gui to some of Sydney’s favoure gay clubs, pubs and bars.

GAY SYDNEY

Chg-a-lgsSure, ’s not officially a gay bar, but Chg-a-lgs draws a pendably queer crowd. The ColombianOpen 9am ‘til 6am every day — y, you read that right — this sprawlg Oxford St hnt n always be unted on for a tipple the early 117-125 Oxford St, DarlghurstYou n fd all the tails for this year's Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras here. The circu—a loose global work of often weekend-long danceathons, where partygoers (almost all gay men) nvene om around the world to bond spirually, socially, sexually and milly—is one of the most unique phenomena to emerge om queer muni over the past few s.

Undoubtedly, many younger gay men prefer smaller venu that "bask the bety and openns of queer culture. " Plenty of olr gay men, too, fd the whole ethos of circu parti — glow sticks, remixed diva anthems, lor them, "body fascism"—to be tired figure out the state of the circu 2017, THUMP spoke wh Mickey Weems, a lecturer at the Universy of Hawai'i Manoa who has extensively studied circu parti (alongsi relig, anthropologil and folklore terts). Weems spoke to their past, prent and potential future, explag what role the circu has played shapg queer and gay culture, and what s evolutn says about the same today.

GAY PARTI AND EVENTS SYDNEY

A gay circu party (Photo via)THUMP: Can you give me a psule history of the circu?

When the Gay Activist Alliance was formed—the first gay rights group, born only six months after Stonewall—they had danc an old firehoe SoHo.