Controversial candidate James Brechney re-elected to Mardi Gras board
Image: James Brechney
CONTROVERSIAL Mardi Gras board member James Brechney has been re-elected.
He will join fellow current board member Brandon-Leith Bear, and newcomers Jesse Matheson Kat Dopper, on the board following the eventful AGM on Saturday.
Brechney described being re-elected as an honour in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon.
“With over 200+ No.1 votes I was the first Candidate elected and only to make quota. BLOWN AWAY!!!”
Dopper is best known for being the brains behind the popular Heaps Gay events, and Matheson is a freelance journalist who previously worked for AAP and Star Observer.
Brechney and Dopper ran together alongside Samuel Day and House of Riot’s Ollie Henderson, and Matheson ran alongside Peta Miller and Murray Hood.
Brechney’s campaign for board has seen its fair share of controversy: he was censured by his fellow board members for publicly calling Prime Minister Turnbull a ‘dickwad’ and expressing a desire to see Mardi Gras return to its political roots by not inviting Turnbull to the 2017 parade.
Matheson also faced scrutiny during his campaign as a result of a column published in 2012 in which he described himself as a “sexual racist”. He apologised and retracted those views.
Yes!!
This should be an inspiration for every other minority group to not allow conservatives to use and abuse you for political propaganda.
The repeal of the racial discrimination act is a case in point.
Human Rights are not negotiable!!
Well done. Xxx
“Controversial” is a strange judgement for the paper to make. If one judges by votes cast, he seemed to gain more approval than the other candidates. I thought the “controversy” started when Turnbull effectively blocked marriage equality after enjoying red carpet treatment for him and his lady wife last. Opposition to marriage equality, and kowtowing to opposers of equality, now THAT’S controversial.
Congratulations James. Mardi Gras needs a good shake up. Time for the old gaurd to move on. Good to see some political statements coming out of the organisation again, Mardi Gras hasn’t proactively fought for our rights for years.