Parade favourite walks over new name
Mardi Gras Parade favourites Dr Mark’s Marching Academy will not take part in next year’s event in light of the controversial removal of ‘gay and lesbian’ from the parade’s title.
In an email sent around to supporters and friends, the group’s founder said he was not prepared to offer months of voluntary service for the Sydney Mardi Gras to celebrate the “blancmange of diversity, rather than gay pride”.
“The Board claimed at the launch that this renaming and refocusing of the parade was a ‘gift to the city from its gay and lesbian community’. Along with many other Mardi Gras members, I do not believe our parade was the current Board’s gift to give,” he wrote.
The group have been entering the parade since 1999 with famous entries such as 2007’s Kylie Minogue-themed Impossible Princess procession, and this year’s tribute float to TV show Glee. Their 2008 Divas Thru the Decades entry was lead by drag legend Carmen Rupe, who passed away last week.
“I remember our last rehearsal that year, when Carmen, magnificently dressed as usual, allowed us to share stories of her life as a young person over thirty years previously, and how she was arrested, bashed and thrown into prison, simply for being gay,” he recalled.
“That year commemorated 30 years of the parade, and of course, most of our participants had not been born for the first Mardi Gras. People said that night that they had shivers running up their spines listening to the retelling of their community’s history.
“We can all be very proud of the contribution we have made to our community over the years we have entered the parade.”
Opponents and supporters of the Sydney Mardi Gras’ name change last week took part in an information and feedback session where there was consensus that there should have been explicit consultation with members before the changes were made – something the organisation acknowledged.
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras chair Peter Urmson told the room that the board accepted in retrospect that it should have given members more information about the changes they had been planning, and would not launch such a major change in future without more explicit consultation and information going to members.
“Dr Mark’s contribution to the Parade will be missed in 2012, however we appreciate his reasons for this,” Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras CEO Michael Rolik told the Star Observer.
“We look forward to him contributing to the consultation process announced this week on the name of the Parade.”
[…] say that Mardi Gras has become a “fabulously fleshy freak show for a hetero audience” or a “blancmange of diversity, rather than gay pride” – a perception that the organisers are merely […]
I wonder what the original ’78ers would think about the change in name. Particularly those ’78ers who were arrested by NSW Police, and were tortured by having their legs broken, and worse. Is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras a gift owned by some Board, or the original protesters who fought against government-sanctioned violence and oppression?
I can’t believe all these miserable whingers. Sorry Kat, obviously they don’t want inclusion. I would love to see how many of these sad folk are SGLMG members or if they volunteer for anything. Somehow I doubt it, too much energy expent moaning. And I suspect many of those complaining now, like Sam, voted against the inclusion of lesbian in Mardi Gras a few years ago.
I’m pretty sure this is going to be an unpopular post, Kat, but I have to take issue with yours.
Gender Identity??? See that’s the problem here. This Mardi Gras Board has decided to include everyone in Mardi Gras, their (here it comes) “gift” to the city.
Thing is, I’m a gay man. I’m attracted to other men. I don’t think I’m a woman, nor do I want to be one, or half way between man and woman, or whatever. I’ve never even been inclined to dress like one. I like c*ck. That’s it.
I DO NOT put myself in the same category as trans people, apart from as a human being. As far as I see it, this was our (people who were same sex attracted) Mardi Gras, and now it’s apparently got to be everyone’s Mardi Gras.
No offense Kat, but as far as I see it, grouping gay men and trans people together is about as relevant as grouping gay men and astronauts, or gay men and Chinese orphans. Only similarity is that they’re all people.
I say bring back the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (or Lesbian and Gay, who cares).
The biggest concern is what this name change potentially sets in motion. The board has branded it as an invitation to the wider Sydney community to become a part of Mardi Gras. By removing gay & lesbian it opens the doors to everyone. The last thing this city needs is yet another excuse for drunk straight bogans to get blind drunk and party in the city. We don’t need another New Years Eve. We don’t need a New Orleans style Mardi Gras. We saw what happened to Oxford Street when it was no longer totally gay and all of the dodgy straight clubs opened up. As sad as it is to say this, I feel it would be better to let Mardi Gras die rather than let it become mainstream and hijacked. Let’s hope this does not end up being the case, and MG can continue to be a gay festival that reminds everyone what a brilliant gay city Sydney really is
Kat the story clearly indicates that in 2008 the group was lead my the transgender icon Carmen (who proudly paraded topless!) I have marched with this group wand they were totally inclusive. Why settle for a “by-line”?
And Michael, no-one is “waiting” for a name … people before us fought for the name … the current Mardi Gras Board gave it away as a “gift” apparently!
Attack. Counter attack. It goes on, and on, and on. I see no problem with the old name. I see no problem with the new name. If you wait for a name to give you permission to protest, or dance, or celebrate, or whatever, then you’re probably a very sad, mixed-up person lost in the detritus of feather boas and rubber. Just celebrate and let others celebrate as they see fit, and try to accept that evolution always comes where protest started the ball rolling.
Good Riddance to Dr Marks then. I’m amazed by how hypocritical the gay community has become, purely by a name change which gives Gender Identity the same platform as sexuality. Sure, it mightn’t be an intentional part behind the name change, though it’s a welcome one.
Somebody also needs to remind Dr Marks that by saying that Mardi Gras has become a “blancmange of diversity, rather than gay pride” that he’s being as transphobic as they come, as Transgender is now in the by-line that he just attacked.
“The Board claimed at the launch that this renaming and refocusing of the parade was a ‘gift to the city from its gay and lesbian community’. Along with many other Mardi Gras members, I do not believe our parade was the current Board’s gift to give,”
Totally agree Dr Mark. How they could have decided to assign themselves a mandate to give this “gift to the city” is the most extraordinary display of arrogance and total disregard for members.
Even more extraordinary is that they did this on behalf of a membership who didn’t even vote for them.
There wasn’t an election at this year’s General Meeting. They were automatically appointed as the Board because there weren’t enough nominees to warrant a ballot. Mark my words Dr Mark, there sure as hell will be an election in 2012, and these nobodies will all be voted OUT.
The best “gift” that this Board could give would be resignation letters.
It would seem that MG never learns from it’s mistakes. How about the split MG weekend, first slated as ‘what the people wanted’ but later revealed to be a MG f*ck up? A shame … cause I thought their reinvention of Sleaze weekend was brilliant (and I hope successful) – How can a group founded on adversity and oppressed minority become so damn arrogant ?
Ed: In the interests of accuracy, membership push was never a reason provided for the parade/party split.
Sadly the New Mardi Gras crowd have successfully killed the iconic gay event in Australia. Was this their intention all along. They deserve the utmost disgust for this.