Home Page - Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras

Contents:

• FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS
• THE MORNG MARCHTHE FIRST MARDI GRAS HELD ON JUNE 24, 1978 WAS PLANNED AS AN ADDN TO THE MORNG MONSTRATN TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS NEW YORK 1969.AT THE TIME, THE LBIAN AND GAY MUNY SAN FRANCIS WERE FIGHTG THE BRIGGS INIATIVE, WHICH WAS A PH TO REMOVE ANYONE WHO SUPPORTED LBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS OM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.THE LBIAN AND GAY MUNY SAN FRANCIS REACHED OUT TO MUNI AROUND THE WORLD, CLUDG SYDNEY. THEY ASKED THAT LBIAN AND GAY MUNI HOST GAY SOLIDARY EVENTS.  IN SYDNEY, LBIAN AND GAY ANISATNS LLED A MARCH THAT WAS HELD THE MORNG. THIS WAS VERY SUCCSFUL BY OUR STANDARDS, WH AROUND 500 PEOPLE PARTICIPATG.SOME PEOPLE ALSO WANTED A NIGHT TIME CELEBRATN. IN 1978, MANY LBIANS AND GAY MEN WERE RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE A DAYTIME MONSTRATN – IF YOUR EMPLOYER OR SCHOOL SAW YOU, YOU ULD EASILY LOSE YOUR JOB.  IT WASN’T JT LBIANS AND GAY MEN THAT PARTICIPATED THE FIRST MARDI GRAS. MANY OTHERS ATTEND SUPPORT OF OUR FIGHT AGAST OPPRSN AND DISCRIMATN.THE NIGHT PARA
• INSI THE UNDISVERED GAY MARDI GRAS
• GAY CARNIVAL
• THE SECRET GOLN AGE OF GAY MARDI GRAS BALLS
• A TREASURE TROVE OF VTAGE GAY MARDI GRAS IMAG
• HOW ATRALIA’S FIRST MARDI GRAS FOUGHT FOR GAY AND LBIAN LIBERATN
• GAY PARTI & EVENTS
• A NOLA HISTORY OF GAY MARDI GRAS | GAY NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS
• DIXIE'S, YUGA AND GAY CARNIVAL

FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS

The tentn was to promote gay and lbian culture and to enurage polil activism agast the discrimatn they routely 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 rts are wily nsired to mark the start of the ternatnal gay rights 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 march was opposn to the ntroversial Briggs Iniative which if passed would have mandated the firg of gay and lbian teachers California public Gay Solidary Group formed Sydney to mark ‘Internatnal Gay Solidary Day’ on 24 June Atralia, var groups and anisatns had been lobbyg, stagg monstratns and march, producg newsletters and a variety of other activi to promote their e.

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 such, the first Mardi Gras march was a major civil rights tone beyond the gay muny. 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 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. Public fear about AIDS was so great that anisers of the 1985 Mardi Gras were unr tense prsure to 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.

THE MORNG MARCHTHE FIRST MARDI GRAS HELD ON JUNE 24, 1978 WAS PLANNED AS AN ADDN TO THE MORNG MONSTRATN TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS NEW YORK 1969.AT THE TIME, THE LBIAN AND GAY MUNY SAN FRANCIS WERE FIGHTG THE BRIGGS INIATIVE, WHICH WAS A PH TO REMOVE ANYONE WHO SUPPORTED LBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS OM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.THE LBIAN AND GAY MUNY SAN FRANCIS REACHED OUT TO MUNI AROUND THE WORLD, CLUDG SYDNEY. THEY ASKED THAT LBIAN AND GAY MUNI HOST GAY SOLIDARY EVENTS.  IN SYDNEY, LBIAN AND GAY ANISATNS LLED A MARCH THAT WAS HELD THE MORNG. THIS WAS VERY SUCCSFUL BY OUR STANDARDS, WH AROUND 500 PEOPLE PARTICIPATG.SOME PEOPLE ALSO WANTED A NIGHT TIME CELEBRATN. IN 1978, MANY LBIANS AND GAY MEN WERE RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE A DAYTIME MONSTRATN – IF YOUR EMPLOYER OR SCHOOL SAW YOU, YOU ULD EASILY LOSE YOUR JOB.  IT WASN’T JT LBIANS AND GAY MEN THAT PARTICIPATED THE FIRST MARDI GRAS. MANY OTHERS ATTEND SUPPORT OF OUR FIGHT AGAST OPPRSN AND DISCRIMATN.THE NIGHT PARA

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. ReferencHistory of the event, Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi GrasRobert Swie, Judh O’Callaghan and Glynis Jon, Absolutely Mardi Gras: Costume and Dign of the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras, Powerhoe Publishg, Sydney, Willett, Livg out Loud: A History of Gay and Lbian Activism Atralia, Allen & Unw, 2000Richard Wherrett (ed.

The first Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Sydney started a way that now feels faiar: stum, dancg and a pervasive sense of what began one night June, 1978, wh a large crowd of partygoers and this yellow flatbed tck …...

(Supplied: Ken Davis)The event would mark the nth anniversary of the Stonewall Rts New York, an uprisg that led to vlent clash between protters and police, and marked a signifint turng pot the gay rights movement. Members of var lbian, gay and progrsive groups, cludg Ken, got together and planned a number of events, cludg a late-night ftival that would kick-off at Taylor Square groups felt galvanised by what was happeng overseas. However, spe Sydney havg the most visible gay and lbian populatn the untry, New South Wal was not at the vanguard of change ntact between men was a crime, punishable by up to 14 years prison.

INSI THE UNDISVERED GAY MARDI GRAS

You uld be sacked om your job if you were disvered to be gay, and same-sex attractn was still nsired abnormal by some the medil muny and relig was also the potential for vlence. (Supplied: Sallie Colech)Ron At — a member of CAMP (Campaign Agast Moral Persecutn), a gay and lbian polil group — suggted a night-time dance party.

”As they began to move, another said they heard police radg ahead to “close off” Kgs the time they were on William Street, the para had turned to a were chantg: “Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks!

Those march were signed to prsure police to drop the charg agast the protters, a mpaign that was ultimately 1979, a year after the clash wh police, the New South Wal Summary Offenc Act was 1982, the New South Wal Anti-Discrimatn Act was amend to clu protectn on the basis of sexual orientatn tn, workplac and other years later, homosexual acts between men were crimalised the state. Creds:Reportg and rearch: Pl Donoughue, Alex Palmer, Chloe BriceInterviews: Mon Schafter Vio productn: Tejas Bhat, Jack FisherEdg: Ga McKeon, Mark DomanDign and 3D mollg: Alex PalmerDevelopment: Matthew Heffernan, Andrew Hystek-Dunk, Katia Shatoba Imag: Sallie Colech, Bran Gai, News Corp, Kev NguyenArchival footage of 1978 Sydney Gay & Lbian Mardi Gras: Scen om the film Wch and Faggots, Dyk and Poofters - © Producer Digby Dunn Atralia 1980Wh thanks to: Bec Ants, Lton Bser, Angela Stengel, Darcy Watt, Michelle BaddileyRead the full statement om Cath Emery, -chair of the NSW Police Force’s ternal LGBTIQ+ Employee Network, Pri 22 Feb 2023Wed 22 Feb 2023 at 6:41pm, updated 23 Feb 2023Thu 23 Feb 2023 at 3:17am. While the first official gay Carnival krewe, the Krewe of Yuga, was formed the late 1950s, “Gay Mardi Gras” had been gog on unrground way before then.

GAY CARNIVAL

Though no longer active, Yuga gave birth to other gay Carnival krew, cludg the Krewe of Petroni and the Krewe of Amon-Ra, both of which are still active. Typilly held on the Saturday before Mardi Gras Day, Armei’ missn is to prerve the ctoms of gay Carnival and to help te those who seek to learn more. The morng marchThe first Mardi Gras held on June 24, 1978 was planned as an addn to the morng monstratn to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall rts New York the time, the lbian and gay muny San Francis were fightg the Briggs Iniative, which was a ph to remove anyone who supported lbian and gay rights om the school lbian and gay muny San Francis reached out to muni around the world, cludg Sydney.

THE SECRET GOLN AGE OF GAY MARDI GRAS BALLS

In 1978, many lbians and gay men were reluctant to participate a daytime monstratn – if your employer or school saw you, you uld easily lose your job. Lbians and gay men me out of the bars to watch and a few even joed - rpondg to our 'Out of the bars and to the streets' though we had a perm to ‘assemble and march’ the Police kept forcg the tck to speed up.

Author: Victoria Adams, Age 20Content warng: talk of homophobia and bigotryAs a young queer person I believe beg aware of and unrstandg queer history to be credibly important. As the 2022 Mardi Gras season is quickly approachg I thought that I would wre an article to remd myself and others of the credible, plex and paful history of the event and pay my rpect and gratu to the 78ers* First Mardi GrasA hly formed group named the ‘Gay Solidary Group’ had begun to rally together and anise the first ever Sydney street prott.

A TREASURE TROVE OF VTAGE GAY MARDI GRAS IMAG

Their primary goals were to prott for the crimalisatn of homosexualy and raise awarens of the anniversary of the Stonewall Rts (28th June-3rd of July 1969) which occurred New York Cy. Source: Atralian Lbian and Gay ArchivThe night after many of the 78ers held a prott at the Central and Darlghurst police statns on the 25th of June and on the 26th a third prott occurred at the Central Court Sydney where a further 7 people were arrted. The 4th Natnal Homosexual Conference hosted a march om Taylor Square to Hy park which saw another 104 Sydney Morng Herald newspaper posted the tails of those arrted, cludg their full nam, addrs and where the dividuals worked.

The third Mardi Gras 1980 was named the “Outrageo Gay Mardi Gras” and the para route was altered to start the CBD, make s way down Oxford street and fish at Paddgton Town Hall.

HOW ATRALIA’S FIRST MARDI GRAS FOUGHT FOR GAY AND LBIAN LIBERATN

Lked below is the lk to the 78ers webse where you n view the list of those who were prent at the First Mardi Gras: “78ers are the participants the first Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras held on 24 June 1978 and subsequent events. Gay Carnival tradns began mid-twentieth-century New Orleans as a genr-bendg parody of ele Mardi Gras tradns, particularly the humorls ronatn balls of aristocratic, segregated clubs like Rex and the Mistick Krewe of Com.

GAY PARTI & EVENTS

After the rise of gay Carnival krew the 1960s and 1970s, queer culture beme a mastay of Carnival New Orleans and a force for LGBTQ+ visibily and muny engagement Louisiana. One of Mardi Gras Day’s great allur for gay men, therefore, was the abily to exprs onelf stume and, a sense, be seen public whout fear of arrt. Gay life and maskg beme rrelated ncepts this era, as gay men often lerally masked themselv while Mardi Gras stume and also symbolilly masked themselv as “bachelors” to avoid discrimatn when Carnival end.

A NOLA HISTORY OF GAY MARDI GRAS | GAY NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS

When the Krewe of Yuga, the first gay Mardi Gras krewe, formed 1958, they took genr-play to a new level by holdg private drag balls, where gay men put on women’s attire and prented themselv as “queens, ” or godss figur. Although Yuga was no more, s spir flourished through former members, and the krew of Petroni (1961), Amon-Ra (1965), Ganyme (1967), Olymp (1970), and Apollo (1970) formed out of whe gay cliqu, mirrorg the racial segregatn of Louisiana.

As homosexual associatn remaed illegal, no gay krewe uld risk sponsorg a para or public event that would intify—or “out”—s membership and imperil their safety. Gog “legimate, ” as Petroni -founr Bill Wooley put , had the effect of gay krew upgradg their balls to formal affairs requirg tuxedos, gowns, and/or upsle drag and tickets mand at the door.

DIXIE'S, YUGA AND GAY CARNIVAL

” For example, 1972 Apollo beme the first gay krewe to hold a ball at the Municipal Audorium, where the ele urts of Rex and Com tradnally met.

A typil gay ball New Orleans differed markedly om mastream balls by elimatg tilln-like procsns of upper-cst women and makg gay men the stars of each “table, ” or staged scen wh stume, mic, and dér curated around a theme. ” The populary and productn value of gay balls creased si by si, and gay krewe members began vtg hundreds, if not thoands, of dollars each year to premier extravagant ball tablex (French for “tables” and the preferred term krewe lgo) to gay society.

Startg the mid-1960s gay krew began formally petg for “bt of” tl at the annual Bourbon Street Awards, where rhton and glter led the 900 block of Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras Day. As the hype beme amplified, tickets to gay balls were veted by celebri like transgenr activist Christe Jenson and Rollg Stone journalist Hunter S. In 1969 Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison’s famo trial outed ele New Orleanian Clay Shaw by accg Shaw of nspirg to assassate Print Kennedy as a “homosexual thrill killg.