Mardi Gras: Tell us what you want

Mardi Gras: Tell us what you want

New Mardi Gras (NMG) has vowed to hold mass community consultations on every facet of the parade’s future — including its funding.

At the close of this season, NMG will invite debate upon itself in an attempt to reach consensus on the parade’s political and artistic purpose, its composition and its funding.
NMG members and non-members alike will be invited to take part in the process which will result in a defining mission statement for the parade.

The move follows ongoing debate over decisions to include corporate floats over other groups who were deemed ‘not gay enough’ to be involved.

“We have a real opportunity to have a debate about the parade: its purpose, its composition and how it’s funded,” NMG CEO Michael Rolik told Sydney Star Observer.

“The question for us is, ‘Should Mardi Gras be a vehicle for a number of political bodies or anyone with a message to get out there?’

“The closest thing our parade entry criteria reflect is our constitution, which is essentially about gay pride and celebration.

“Questions to look at in the future though may include what kind of parade does the community want? Is it about gay pride? Or a broader agenda of sexual and other freedoms?

“How much weight do we give to creativity and enthusiasm over matters of sexual identity?”
Rolik said the list of questions would be far-reaching with no boundaries.

“Given the choice, would we prefer a parade that didn’t care about your sexuality as long as you were marching in support of pride? Or is it a parade full of gay people with messages about all different sorts of causes?” he said.

“We’d like to work towards a clear statement about the parade’s objectives and values, to ensure the parade’s future and give people overall what they want.

“Once the season’s over, the board and I will set out a process for consultation, which we want to engage the whole community in — not just certain elements of it — with the aim of putting that vision forward to our members to approve.”

Rolik said the logistics of setting up such a consultation procedure — which would need to be much larger than the usual post-season membership feedback surveys — would not be finalised until after NMG has completed its season debriefing process.

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20 responses to “Mardi Gras: Tell us what you want”

  1. The parade is a freak show and no longer represents many gays. It would be easier to let it die and find another way to celebrate.

  2. So much for the Police moving the Start Area of Mardi Gras to Whitlam Square from Elizabeth St to supposedly keep Hyde Park clear of violence. News reports of 45 arrests & 2 stabbings in Hyde Park as well as many many complaints from the thousands who DID end up in Hyde Park and then couldn’t see the parade make the whole exercise of moving the start area a joke! Not to mention the smell of burning truck clutches going up steep Commonwealth St and rolling back causing safety problems.

    Bring back the logical start area and address violence! Trying to keep Hyde Park out of it was a waste of time and smacks of push the gays back up into Oxford St & out of the city!!

    Stella Michaels

  3. How do we fix the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade? I don’t know. What I do know is this, rather than bitch about it why not make suggestions?

    My suggestion… Why not have a time line parade starting with 1969, followed by the birth of Mardi Gras in Sydney ‘78, ending with a diverse group showing the world that we are still standing together and still fighting for equality?

  4. I Just Saw a 17 minute “Best Of” Mardi Gras parade 2010 on YouTube. To even think I would be in this. Thank God I wasnt & thank god I pulled out. Ive not watched the Parade since 2002. I thought It would be different but its the same old , same old. To even think that I would be spending $3000 on My Float & then see what everyone else did (as seen on Youtube) is hideous. To even think I would associate myself with this. Im so Glad that I pulled out at the Last minute. It was meant to be. The Idea of My work on the back of a Truck..How Ridiculous. After 32 Years You think it would be “creatively” Bigger & Better. But All I hear in the past 2 months (& thinking back now – years) is ” It used to be better”. My first & Last Experience. THE END.

  5. Nick Steph and Michael have explained their reasons for the “exclusion”.
    To my view not a satisfactory explanation, but they have stated why the refused. Is Katrina implying that if there was a choice to be made
    ‘The history of the hula hoop’, Taronga Zoo, Federal Police, NSW Police, fire brigade, ANZ, Virgin Blue, Foxtel, the Michael Jackson Thriller Zombie Marching Group, Raelians, Railcorp, a float about Neil Armstrong and the first humans on the moon, should have been eliminated before her float?
    And if the Animal Lib float had not been excluded would there have been similar articles on NMG at the scavenger website if for example the Raelian float was excluded?
    I am troubled that the Animal Lib float was rejected, especially considering it was in previous years parades.
    What concerns me is when I read articles in samesame that actively denigrate Raelians (for example) and ridicule other community groups purely for their “crime” of getting approval from parade committee this year.
    It makes me wonder if the indignant voices are over the “growing corporatization” of NMG “lack of community” will sustain the campaign for community after february? Any of the excluded plan to get together and talk?
    Paid for a membership to NMG to make sure our voices are heard by the membership of NMG at the AGM?
    Or another way perhaps other than pointing at other floats(who are are community)and asking “what’s so special about them?”

  6. Could Nick, Steph and Michael Rolik please explain how the following floats (all listed as entries in the Parade) fit their criteria:

    ‘The history of the hula hoop’, Taronga Zoo, Federal Police, NSW Police, fire brigade, ANZ, Virgin Blue, Foxtel, the Michael Jackson Thriller Zombie Marching Group, Raelians, Railcorp, a float about Neil Armstrong and the first humans on the moon.

    How are they all so much ‘gayer’ than a bunch of queer animal libbers?

    I look forward to your response New Mardi Gras.

    Katrina Fox
    Editor-in-chief, The Scavenger online magazine http://www.thescavenger.net

  7. The idea of having a debate, sorry, forum, after ‘the season’ is analogous to not bothering to clean the house before a party bcause it’s only going to get messed up and dirty. Clean up the shit after it accumulates.
    If the CEO and Board could not forsee the angerthat lay ahead they are naive; if they could, they are shameless.

  8. At last New Mardi Gras has promised to involve the community in making decisions about the basic shape and idea of the festival. However, to set it up (as NMG CEO Michael Rolik did) as a choice between promoting “gay pride” and “a broader agenda of sexual and other freedoms” falsely promotes the idea that “gay pride” is what the parade is about now, ignoring the corporate imperatives that led to straight actors being paid to promote furniture shops, and the corporate sensitivities that banned some gay groups from Fair Day, not to mention the attempts to censor the parade.

    I think Mardi Gras from the beginning involved people with a wider social justice agenda, focussed against the oppression of sexuality at that time seen as anti-gay, thus generating the notion of “gay pride”. However, over thirty years later, we’ve had more time to deconstruct our oppression and to recognise the diversity of our community, and we need to ask if “gay pride” is applicable to, for example, transsexuals, or is there a broader front of sexual and gender freedom, and subversively camp social commentary?

    Oh, and while it’s great to see MAG had no trouble paying Mardi Gras fees, that’s probably true of every group lucky enough to have government funding, or the cofffers of well established older people. Uni students, the sort of people who protest and change society, are not so rich.

  9. Even though Ive expressed the Truth from my End & I am still dissapointed I still wish Mardi Gras success & hope they learn from their Mistakes. I wish also the Other Parade Entrants a Great Evening, make it fun & Memorable. Dont let Stress or Frustration get in the way. Sydney is your City. You OWN it. Go do what you must do & have the time of your life. Have a great Night.
    Daniel X

  10. I identify as a gay man who strongly supports the animal lib movement. I do this (on the most part) quietly, demonstrating the principles through my lifestyle and in discussions with friends and acquaintances. I love the gay leather scene, however in order to live by my principles and still enjoy this part of the gay scene, I choose, for example, to buy faux-leather products. I am not alone. I believe that I should be allowed to march, representing the small, but growing, group of GLBT animal lovers who do not feel that we as a community should exploit animals for our own desires. I look at the NMG Constitution and the Objects of the Company (copied below). I feel that I could make an argument that the Animal Liberation NSW float could fit into points 2.1 a, b, c, d and e. If NMG does in fact want to review the parade and who is included, I think it’s going to need to heavily review it’s constitution – and to be frank, a vote to change it so drastically will only fail. NMG you simply have made the wrong decision. Further to this NMG, I felt demeaned that the email you sent to members on 23rd Feb suggesting that now the season is on, criticism should give way to preparing for “the exciting stuff that’s happening”. You have publicly demeaned and side-lined my criticism and basically told me to ‘fall in line’. That the CEO, with the support of the Co-Chairs, can be so arrogant is startling. I know where my vote is not going come the AGM.

    OBJECTS
    2.1 The objectives of New Mardi Gras shall be to organise and co-ordinate events of celebration, commemoration and protest and engage in other activities as part of the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer community. This includes:
    (a) Sustaining and strengthening the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer community by:
    (i) providing opportunities for interaction and association between individuals, groups and organisations;
    (ii) contributing to its social, economic, cultural and political development;
    (iii) enabling the full expression of its culture, history, traditions and aspirations; and
    (iv) providing opportunities for other organisations to promote their services, fundraise and advance their objectives;
    (b) Acknowledging the diversity of the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer community.
    (c) Advancing the goals of this community, including:
    (i) full acceptance of and equal rights within Australia and internationally;
    (ii) promoting visibility of its people within the Australian community and internationally;
    (iii) recognition within society of the right to sexual self-determination of all people.
    (d) Advancing the interests and general well-being of gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer people including:
    (i) affirmation of gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer love and life;
    (ii) creating opportunities for people to express themselves artistically and politically and develop their artistic and political skills; and
    (iii) by creating a forum in which sexuality and gender diversity are explored and celebrated.
    (e) Building strong, positive and beneficial relationships between the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer community and the wider community.

  11. The Animal Liberation Group IS NOT a GLTBI group. Their intention to march for the rights of CHICKENS is insulting and disrespects what Mardi Gras is all about.

    When we still don’t have full equality why should we let these people hijack our parade? They reduce our struggle to being no more important than farm animals.

  12. As a gay man at 33 (having been in the parade, and watched it), my own opinion is that unfortunately I see most of the parade as a flamboyant show-boat of bodies wanting to celebrate their nakedness, diversity & sexuality. Yes, there are a few groups that are in the parade with the original motives as to why we have this parade in the first place – Thank goodness!

    Today as a community, I see that we have split ourselves into sub-groups and then bitch about who’s groups are better, then try and denigrate, whilst outdoing each other rather than uniting ourselves.

    Our family – Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders, and so on (including supporters from the straight community) – stood up 41 years ago for equality…TOGETHER. They stood up for each other.

    Is it not time we got back to our grass roots, rather than commercially whoring ourselves to the highest bidder, then say whilst you are at it, why not come along for the ride?

    After all, originally this march/parade was not only a celebration of who we are, but also a demonstration for legal rights, equality, and most importantly remembering our brothers and sisters in 1969 who had the strength and backbone to say enough of treating us this way…. wasn’t it? Shouldn’t we keep the message going?

    Nick,
    Sydenham

  13. PS: My /our Float was to be LE CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES.
    Wouldve been the Biggest & most extravagant float of the Parade. I know this & the Guys on my float knew this. Mardi Gras blew it. I hope you learn your lesson that you dont do this to people who actually put all their heart & soul into something & from my own funds to make you look good & take all the credit. I will never again associate myself with this Bunch of Mediocre, Amateur & un-professional people again.
    (And no ,,,Im not a Drama Queen or an Ego-Maniac).

  14. My first association with Mardi Gras as a Parade Entrant.
    Their Lack of so called support & community spirit I did not feel or get. I begged for assistance, I felt I was led on not only by them but their people who are connected to them. This was to be a Life experience not only for me but for the people involved on my float. I was exhausted & also the lack of support from their end led to a Meltdown on Friday 19th February.
    I found them at Mardi Gras arrogant, inconsiderate & people with no compassion. Basicaly a ” dont give a crap” attitude – So I withdrew. It wouldve cost me $3000 from my own funds. I even offered to give back $1500 grant they offered in exchange for 2 more people to be on my float ( I asked , they said no) so I made a deal with them – I said : I hand you back the $1500 Grant or half of it ($750) & you allow 2 more people on my float (from 6-8) . 3 days later I get a phone call (not an email) they say I can have my 2 extra people on my float & offered me $500… I asked & begged can you help me find a Driver with an MR Licence, they inform me of Topgear ( people from the show/mag) drive my 8 tonne Vehicle. Then they say they cant. I felt like a Marrionette Puppet,,,up & down,,,yes no,, Yes & no,,,,I got so sick of this nonsense & “amatuer & un-professional Behaviour” from them that I withdrew completely on Monday 22nd february,,,saving myself from a total breakdown due to stress & their lack of support …Basicaly I felt they just didnt give a shit…So I withdrew…I wish them the best & hope they learn a lesson here & hope that one day they will treat people a bit better. You at Mardi Gras & your 2 associates ( they know who they are) fucked me around. I never knew this would happen. Im dissapointed . Enough Said.

  15. How frustrating that the SSO includes a news article and letter to the editor putting NMG’s point of view on the difficult issue of Parade entrants but key questions do not seem to have been asked, let alone answered. I want the Parade to be about GLBT visibility, celebration and equality but think the Board may have got this decision wrong. That depends. Who was excluded and why? Who was included and why?

    Michael Rolic says NMG’ s Constitution and history is as a “gay pride organisation”. He, Nick and Steph have represented to members that both Parade entry criteria and the vast majority of floats in this year’s Parade reflect that fact. They say only 4 out of some 140 floats will be sponsor entries from organisations that may not be specifically GLBT. In the past there had been a large number of corporate entries from both private companies and government bodies. On Michael’s criteria all would be excluded this year bar 4 sponsor floats. If so, I applaud the decision to reclaim the Parade as a GLBT event and can live with the fact opinions vary as to where to draw the line. If not, I want to know why members of our community wanting to march as Queers for Animal Rights were excluded when other organisations that are not specifically queer have been allowed in.

    My questions for Mardi Gras: Will government bodies be allowed to use the Parade for promotion this year? If so, how many? Will the NSW Police Force be taking part despite its recent hostility to Mardi Gras events?

    A journalist should pursue these questions with the Board and get an answer.

    And Michael re “gay pride” – it has been called Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras since 1988. New Mardi Gras’ community is not just “gays” but gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and queers.

  16. Public forums are not the best feeback. A lot of pissed off people. A lot of constructively critical people, A lot of people along for the free Coon blocks & Chateau Cardboard. Doubtless these pages will be filled in the coming months with ‘observations’ and hints for a more inclusive NMG. NMG, YOU’LL NEVER PLEASE ALL THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME!
    i’D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THE INTERSTATE & INTERNATIONAL NUMBERS AFFECTED BY OUR SQUABLLING?