Happy Mardi Gras to my fellow Australia's

[ravenstar]

So it's the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney tonight. As usually it's pissing rain. I hope my friends have water-proof glitter.

Anyway, in the spirit of the day, here's to a happy Mardi Gras....

[americanexpress]

What is the purpose of these parades?

[maxpowr9]

It's a tad belated to call this a Mardi Gras parade. Mardi Gras was February 12th. Lent is already half over. Someone down there needs to get a calendar.

[bankside]

It's a tad belated to call this a Mardi Gras parade. Mardi Gras was February 12th. Lent is already half over. Someone down there needs to get a calendar.

What has Mardi Gras got to do with lent? Mardi Gras is a gay national holiday, and Sydney is its capital. If they say it's on March 1, that's good enough for me.

[Rickrock]

Mardi Gras in the U.S. and Carnival in Brazil are before lent starts. If Australians made it some other kind of holiday, I am unaware of it.

[wilbur33]

It originally started out way back in 1978 as a gay rights protest rally - it's not actually a holiday and it has NOTHING to do with the New Orleans Mardi Gras or Brazil's Carnival or Lent.

[CupidBoy]

Best wishes to my gay Australian brothers and sisters celebrating Mardi Gras this year.

I'll add this clip of Kylie Minogue performing at last years celebration in Sydney:

[ravenstar]

What is the purpose of these parades?

It started out as a Gay Rights March and turned into the glitteriest night of the year in Sydney. Thousands of people fly in from all over the world for it. Think Pride Parade's in the US but at night in the rain and everyone on one side of the street semi naked and everyone on the other praying for rain.

[earlgrey]

Hello from Melbourne. I know a couple who flew up for the week just to attend.

[benno5693]

So bloody pissed I couldn't go this year! A few friends and I are planning to pop my Mardi Gras cherry next year, though!

[Keeland]

Since it was held on March 1, shouldn't it be vendredi gras?

[pat grimshaw]

We had a good time last night but please don't quibble about the name, Maxpowr9 and Keeland.

There's been much drama here because the current wannabes running this four-million-dollar event decided to omit the word 'gay' from the name.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/mardi-gras...117-1nl7v.html

[xbuzzerx]

We had a good time last night but please don't quibble about the name, Maxpowr9 and Keeland.

There's been much drama here because the current wannabes running this four-million-dollar event decided to omit the word 'gay' from the name.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/mardi-gras...117-1nl7v.html

Shouldn't it be Aussie Gras?

[pat grimshaw]

^ it should be advertised as a gay event

[Keeland]

We had a good time last night but please don't quibble about the name, Maxpowr9 and Keeland.

I'm not. it was a joke. Mardi Gras long ago became its own gestalt, in French, English and any other language.

[pat grimshaw]

^ fair enough, Keel, I do a bit of quibbling myself

[maxpowr9]

It was a jab at the joke that you call it Mardi Gras which is French for 'fat Tuesday'.

I am curious if it is anything like the gay pride parades in the US where there is a political undertone to many of them or is it just a rave night in the streets?

[pat grimshaw]

^ it started as political years ago but has descended down into a rave night in the streets?

[wilbur33]

It's basically a party-time, but a lot of the floats do still have a slight political edge to them.

[maxpowr9]

It's basically a party-time, but a lot of the floats do still have a slight political edge to them.

Since gay marriage is still a hot-button issue in both the US and AU, will politicians march in said pride parade? For example: I marched in the Boston Pride Parade with my current Senator and Congressman, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Kennedy III respectively.

[wilbur33]

Since gay marriage is still a hot-button issue in both the US and AU, will politicians march in said pride parade? For example: I marched in the Boston Pride Parade with my current Senator and Congressman, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Kennedy III respectively.

According to news reports:

Senator Christine Milne (leader of Australian Greens
Clover Moore (Mayor of Sydney)
Alex Greenwich (Independent MP for Sydney)

The ALP (Australian Labor Party) was also represented but the articles/reports didn't give the names.

The Liberal Party weren't represented (because they are anything BUT liberal) but their leader (Tony Abbott)'s lesbian sister Christine Forster was there:

Ms Forster said she hoped she could ''one day'' convince her brother to march in the parade despite the fact that he led the Coalition in a bloc ''no'' vote in two separate bills seeking to amend the marriage act to include same sex marriage in 2012.

''I would like to get him up Oxford Street and into Taylor Square at the head of the Mardi Gras, that would be fantastic,'' she said.

[maxpowr9]

^That's good to hear. If our pride parades just become "gay soirees", I personally feel they would lose much of their meaning.

[wilbur33]

This year, even soldiers were able to march in their uniforms:

Gay members of Australia's Defence Force (ADF) marched in their uniforms for the first time and squadron leader Vince Chong from the Royal Australian Air Force was thrilled to be part of the event.

''It's absolutely exhilarating. This is about us being proud of the uniform, and it allows us to show how proud we are of the ADF,'' he said.

He said the decision to allow members to march, reflected the ADF's policy to encourage more workplace inclusion.

''It shows the priority that's been placed on diversion and inclusion in the Australian Defence Force. This is just the start of many things to come under the pathway to change. We will see more and more about generating a culture of inclusion.''

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news...#ixzz2MSCzlNIM

[maxpowr9]

This year, even soldiers were able to march in their uniforms:


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news...#ixzz2MSCzlNIM

I chuckle at the headline at the top of the page...

Police charge 96 revellers over drugs crimes at Sydney's Mardi Gras party

Well, at least I am half-right about the event.

[glasvegas]

Am I the only one attented Mardi Gras? It is amazing! It doesn't rain much this time. I was in the front row, a girl performer ran up and kiss my cheek and a few photos taken by a photographer because he thinks I'm wearing a cute bowtie. I will try volunteer next year.

Will upload pictures and videos later!