How Atralia’s First Mardi Gras Fought for Gay and Lbian Liberatn

Contents:

• FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS
• SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS
• SYDNEY GAY & LBIAN MARDI GRAS
• HOW GAY TOURISM ATRALIA AND MARDI GRAS ARE ENTWED
• SEMTICS SYDNEY’S GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS
• 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
• HOW ATRALIA’S FIRST MARDI GRAS FOUGHT FOR GAY AND LBIAN LIBERATN
• UNED WE SHE: SYDNEY’S GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS 2022 – PICTUR

FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS

They asked for solidary activi on the Stonewall anniversary to ci wh their march agast the anti-gay Briggs Iniative on the California ballot.

SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS

Chants of “Out of the bars and to the streets” joed the sound of gay liberatn anthems ‘Glad to be Gay’ and ‘O to a Gym Teacher’. The Gay Solidary Group, other groups and dividuals and me together for a massive polil and legal effort – the Drop the Charg mpaign. On 24 June 1978 a small group of gay and lbian people operatg as the Gay Solidary Group staged a day of events Sydney.

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.

SYDNEY GAY & LBIAN MARDI GRAS

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.

HOW GAY TOURISM ATRALIA AND MARDI GRAS ARE ENTWED

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. 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.

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".

SEMTICS SYDNEY’S GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS

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). Today, Mardi Gras is amed, at least part, wh a global gay and lbian tourism dtry that crav a bigger and better para each year.

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

It’s unlikely that any of the heroic dividuals ught up the btal rt on the night of 24 June, 1978 would have had much of an klg that Mardi Gras would bee one of the world’s most spectacular and endurg gay pri paras. Yet wh a ltle more than a followg the 1978 rt, the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Ftival and Para nourished the emergence of a buddg gay and lbian tourism dtry, parallelg the emergence of the “gay nsumer”. Mardi Gras has played a ccial role the emergence of Atralia, and, particular, Sydney, as an ternatnally regnised gay and lbian tourist statn.

In 1999, Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Ltd, which was the enty anisg the ftival at the time, lnched s own gay and lbian travel agency - Mardi Gras Travel. LGBT statns are lked globally by an extensive lendar that clus more than 1, 000 pri events, film ftivals, circu-parti, Internatnal Gay Gam, and the Gay Day phenomenon. This is where gays, lbians and their iends scend on theme parks, the largt beg GayDayS Orlando which is now a seven day “vatn experience” attractg about 180, 000 participants.

The growth of peer-to-peer acmodatn platforms, such as Airbnb, and the gay men’s equivalent, misterb&b, diversify acmodatn optns, further creasg the appeal of the regnal plac to LGBT travellers. For the past 40 years, the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras Para has meanred s glterg way up Oxford Street, Sydney, ptivatg the thoands of onlookers lg the route. Do you agree wh the Natnal Mm of Atralia that the first gay and lbian Mardi Gras para is a fg moment Atralian history?

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

On 24 June 1978 a small group of gay and lbian people, lled the Gay Solidary Group, anised a day of events Sydney. After the Stonewall rts Atralian gay and lbian activists began to anise monstratns and march, and produce newsletters to promote gay rights.

UNED WE SHE: SYDNEY’S GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS 2022 – PICTUR

In June 1978 the 9th anniversary of the Stonewall rts, the newly-formed Gay Solidary Group anised a daytime march and an eveng para Sydney. After this succs the gay muny cid to hold an annual para and e the event to mpaign for better protectn agast discrimatn Atralian society. Over time Atralians began to accept gay people as ctomers and employe, and bs that tered to gay and lbian people beme more open.