THE SHOT — So it looks like the 400,000 attendees of the 33rd annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney enjoyed themselves? More than a dozen floats were dedicated to this nonsense.
party down
PHOTOS: All The Fun At Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras
Ian
Those parades are often more about celebrating superficial circuit-party beauty than a celebration of the queerness within.
justiceontherocks
@Ian: True, but what’s wrong with that. Not everything we do has to be cerebral and political. Looks like a fun party – good for them.
Red Meat
I would never attend a gay parade that is about gay stereotype bears and nudity. Where are the 60s protest crowd?
jason
The Sydney Mardi Gras participants consist of narcissists and gym-buffed effeminate men. So sad. The “floats”, if you can call them that, look like ordinary cars with a few streamers thrown on top of them and a balloon attached to the antenna. So sophisticated…. The Rio Mardi Gras would be envious…not.
The Sydney Mardi Gras has become a laughable event that does more damage than good to the gay rights cause. I truly feel that, in Australia, they’ve forgotten how to fight for gay rights and, instead, reserve all their energies for “having fun”.
Looking at the pictures of the parade, it looks as if it’s an audition for an amateur production of Wizard of Oz.
Labi Ajeti
I love this shum mir pask dal
Labi Ajeti
i love this very hot shum mir pask dal
Chris
@jason: Obviously Jason you ahvent seen the gay pride parades which is more political in focus than mardi gras.
That being said, maybe we’ve ‘forgotten’ to fight for our rights because we don’t have very many left that we don’t have.
TheRealAdam
@Chris: “That being said, maybe we’ve ‘forgotten’ to fight for our rights because we don’t have very many left that we don’t have.”
Pass me whatever you’re smoking. Must be some good sh!t.
Will
I was there. The weekend was a blur. So much fun. I loved every minute, and I wouldn’t call myself a stereotypical gay.
Call Mardi Gras whatever you want but I saw it as a celebration for what we have achieved. You can rally the other 51 weeks of the year.
And for the record, I know Mardi Gras began as a protest, but it has evolved. We still have some way to go in Australia, but we’ll get there eventually.
Chris
@TheRealAdam:
Hyperbole, obviously.
But in all seriousness, marriage is different in australia. The rights and so on that are associated with marriage in the US are not associated with marriage in australia. Superannuation, power of attorney, hospital visitation, taxation etc its all seperate from marriage. Hence why in australia, our system of domestic partnerships are essentially all we need. In australia, our marriage fight is literally a fight for a word.
As for adoption, anybody can go to western australia and adopt a child. In victoria, one half of the couple can adopt a child and then the partner can be recognised as a parent (it takes two steps as opposed to one).
We have statewide hate crimes legislation, as for for at a federal level I’m not sure, but regardless crime is handled well and truly by the states.
It is illegal to fire a person, in any state or territory for being gay.
So sure, while its hyperbole, our fight is nearing the legal end.
Chris
sorry, forgot to add the australian capital territory and New South Wales as places where same sex couples can adopt.
Also, gays have been allowed to serve openly in our armed forces since 1992 and there is an equal age of consent.
Sydney Accommodation
Fun, fun, fun that pretty much sums up Sydney Mardi Gras for me. I could write pages, but ‘fun’ says it all
Spooky
Hey Jason, Mardi Gras is what it is, don’t compare it to other marches and parades. Put it in it’s historical context and it started as a grass roots protest march. Who needs homophobes with Queens like you?
Paul
What really annoys me are people who complain about their preferred style of parade, and yet do nothing about it. Put your feet where your mouth is. Get off your butt and organise your own float/group to march. So easy to complain but they don’t make an effort.
Sydney Mardi Gras is brilliant and I don’t discriminate!