Congratulations Sydney Gay Pride - 30 !!

[matriarch]

Congratulations to Syndey's Gay Pride event, 30 years old today.




Sydney gay pride event turns 30
By Nick Bryant
BBC News, Sydney

Sydney's gay and lesbian Mardi Gras festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary, due to culminate on Saturday night with the annual parade.

The event has become one of the largest gay pride festivals in the world and generates millions in tourism for the city of Sydney.

This year it will feature a contingent from the Australian defence force.

In another first, about 100 ministers and clergy will offer an apology for the treatment of gays and lesbians.

It will be similar to the government's recent "sorry" to indigenous Australians.

Far cry
The annual event, in which some 10,000 people will take part, has now become a red letter day in the calendar of Sydney and one of the city's major tourist attractions.

But it is all a far cry from the inaugural fancy-dress gay pride march 30 years ago.

Back then male homosexuality was still illegal in New South Wales and the march ended with clashes with police and 50 arrests.

Now it is arguably the world's pre-eminent gay and lesbian celebration.

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The Mardigras website

 

[starrkers]

And sadly the event has been taken over by the "look at me be outrageous" brigade and most of the gay people I know won't go near it.

 

[matriarch]

And sadly the event has been taken over by the "look at me be outrageous" brigade and most of the gay people I know won't go near it.

But to be honest, think back to the history of the pride parades, it was only by being outrageous and out there, that any of them got off the ground.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I would never dream of taking part in one, but I have, on occasion, popped up to London to stand in Trafalgar Square with the thousands of spectators and watched the parade go past, with the big and outrageous, as well as the ordinary couples, families, parents, who just want the world to realise that we are here to stay. I admire their courage. All of them, no matter how they're dressed.

 

[starrkers]

It was the spectators I meant. The parade has always been outrageous - I think gay cops made their first appearance about 5 years ago with buttless uniforms...