1978: First gay Mardi Gras march, Sydney
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FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS
* when did the gay mardi gras start in sydney *
They asked for solidary activi on the Stonewall anniversary to ci wh their march agast the anti-gay Briggs Iniative on the California ballot. Ken and others lled a meetg of lbian and gay groups and dividuals, which beme the Gay Solidary Group. 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’.
SYDNEY GAY AND LBIAN MARDI GRAS
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. * when did the gay mardi gras start in sydney *
The Gay Solidary Group, other groups and dividuals and me together for a massive polil and legal effort – the Drop the Charg mpaign.
• 15 July – 2, 000 take part largt ever gay rights march wh 14 arrts.
News, featur and more om the annual Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras * when did the gay mardi gras start in sydney *
• 27 Augt – 300 march down Oxford St om the 4th Natnal Homosexual Conference wh 104 arrts. This was the thori’ attempt to keep the muny le, but Sydney’s gays and lbians would not get back le.
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 …... Ken was a gay rights activist Sydney.
(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.
Mardi Gras is one of Atralia’s most famo and well-loved events, brgg tens of thoands of visors to Sydney to jo the celebratns. It all began on a chilly wter's night 1978, when the police scend on a street ftival bravely celebratg gay rights when homosexualy w... * when did the gay mardi gras start in sydney *
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. 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. Someone at the club said there was a gay rights march happeng outsi, so Trixie went down to take a look. ”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!
“There was a really strong feelg of aggrsn, hatred and blatant homophobia”. 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.