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
Contents:
HOW ATRALIA’S FIRST MARDI GRAS FOUGHT FOR GAY AND LBIAN LIBERATN
In 1968, Ken Davis beme a socialist while still high school — ten years later, he helped to lead the first Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Sydney. As Davis explas, the stggle for gay rights Atralia formed part of a global fight for liberatn." name="scriptn * how did mardi gras become a gay thing *
1978 AtraliaIn 1978, a group of young queer Atralians cid to march orr to prott the crimalisatn of homosexualy Atralia and nial of equal rights to the LGBTQI+ muny.
The event was also tend to be Sydney's ntributn to the Gay Solidary Celebratns, an ternatnal show of support for New York's Stonewall rts 1969. However, due to many ternatnal Gay Rights protts endg vlence and arrts, the group wanted a posive celebratn At — affectnately known as the 'godfather of Mardi Gras' — is the one who suggted the march be more of a big, movg street party to celebrate the the 2015 documentary about the makg of The Adventur of Priscilla: Queen of the Dert,, At cheerfully explas that the Uned Stat, "they were havg the big paras, gay paras".
INSI THE UNDISVERED GAY MARDI GRAS
* how did mardi gras become a gay thing *
He refers to San Francis's Gay Pri paras — so he suggted that they do the same, to avoid vlence and arrts (which obvly did not happen). The tentn was to promote gay and lbian culture and to enurage polil activism agast the discrimatn they routely experienced.The group anised a tradnal march and public meetg the morng and a street para at night.
Lead-up to Mardi GrasThe Stonewall rts that began the early hours of 28 June 1969 New York Cy were the rult of a police raid on a gay bar lled the Stonewall Inn.The rts are wily nsired to mark the start of the ternatnal gay rights movement.In March 1978 the San Francis based Gay Freedom Day Commtee ntacted Atralian activists llg for solidary activi to support a march planned on the anniversary of the Stonewall rts.The march was opposn to the ntroversial Briggs Iniative which if passed would have mandated the firg of gay and lbian teachers California public schools.The Gay Solidary Group formed Sydney to mark ‘Internatnal Gay Solidary Day’ on 24 June 1978.Around Atralia, var groups and anisatns had been lobbyg, stagg monstratns and march, producg newsletters and a variety of other activi to promote their e.
On 24 June 1978 a small group of gay and lbian people, lled the Gay Solidary Group, anised a day of events Sydney. They wanted to promote gay and lbian culture and prott agast the discrimatn they experienced their daily liv. Even though the daytime march and night-time street para were peaceful, police rpond wh vlence and arrts. This brought natnal attentn and helped to make the para an annual Sydney event. * how did mardi gras become a gay thing *
Makg historyAtralian Lbian and Gay Archiv print Graham Willett scrib the 1978 Mardi Gras as the ‘most dramatic moment of the backlash’ agast the mpaign for gay rights. Addnally, laws around obtag perms for street march and paras were liberalised.As such, the first Mardi Gras march was a major civil rights tone beyond the gay muny.
<b>Dennis Altman:</b> A few nostalgic radils claim the gay and lbian ftival is no longer polil, but the very fact that the accatns n be ma suggts how far thgs have changed * how did mardi gras become a gay thing *
Gatherg momentumCapalisg on this and on the wellsprg of support that had emerged, the gay muny cid to keep gog wh the ia of a para.They ntued to mpaign on different aspects of discrimatn agast them, and this also began to translate to a ut acceptance of gay people as ctomers and employe.
Atralian Prime Mister Anthony Albane has bee the first lear of the untry to take part the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras the event's 45-year history. * how did mardi gras become a gay thing *
Public fear about AIDS was so great that anisers of the 1985 Mardi Gras were unr tense prsure to ncel.That prsure, bed wh the shock of seeg iends, lovers and partners sicken and die, fostered a termatn and rilience wh the gay and lbian muny. Not1 Robert Swie, Judh O’Callaghan and Glynis Jon, Absolutely Mardi Gras: Costume and Dign of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras, Powerhoe Publishg, Sydney, 1996, p. Pair of buckled slg back platform sho wh peek-a-boo toThe sho form part of Ron Munster's prize-wng 'Lucille Balls' stume worn at the 1994 Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras.