Infighting Plagues Changes to Sydney Mardi Gras Constitution
The attempt to change the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Constitution has been plagued by infighting and accusations the process lacks transparency.
Under the proposed constitution, the Board of Directors will be increased from eight to nine. Five of the nine will be elected by members while the remaining four will be appointed by a majority of elected directors. This could lead to an instance where just three elected directors create a super majority on the Board.
Albert Kruger, CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras stated that “the proposal to appoint 5/9 Board Directors was raised as we have a legal duty to ensure the Board has the right balance of skills, experience, and knowledge to govern Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.”
‘Wildly Undemocratic’
Charlie Murphy, a member of the Board of Directors, believes that this is “wildly undemocratic.”
“Reducing the board from having eight members who are elected, to five with four potential board members that are appointed, is absurd. It’s not how a democratic organisation should run. All of those four members would get a vote on [the] Board. It’s essentially increasing a majority’s ability to win a vote on a board by four.”
Wei Thai-Haynes, a candidate for the Board of Directors, concurs, saying, “All the directors should be elected and those elections should be as open, free, and transparent as possible.”
Facebook Group Shut Down
The division has not been solely about the content of the proposed constitution. Accusations of bullying were made on the SGLMG Constitution Review Forum on Facebook, leading to the group’s administrator shutting down the forum.
When contacted by the Star Observer, no one on the committee has been willing to speak on the record, citing that they all signed non-disclosure agreements(NDAs).
When asked, Kruger admitted, “Constitution Review committee members did sign NDAs and Terms of Reference documents on appointment to the committee, as is standard across all committees formed by SGLMG.”
According to Kruger, the Mardi Gras Organization has been “proactive in ensuring that the entire review process has been open and transparent – of particular focus is that the constitution is developed with consideration given to community feedback at each stage.”
“Work is still being done on the constitution and thus we are still in the early stages of this review process, so there are plenty of opportunities for members to have their say on the proposed changes.”
A vote on the new SGLMG Constitution was originally set for December 1, World AIDS Day, but was moved to January 29 after public criticism. Following publication of this story, Star Observer was contacted by Mardi Gras and was informed that the vote would now take place on a date to be confirmed after the festival.
Juvenile and immature some of the people in the rainbow community can be in Australia….
Just like other countries ….drama queens
No surprises regarding the bitching and arguing and infighting in the rainbow community with some immature people, nothing more than bullies just like some of the heterosexual community.
The decision to allow the Elected Board members of the SGLMG to appoint four fellow members is reminiscent of failed PM and dumped MP John Howard’s Referendum on the issue of Australia becoming a Republic with our own Australian Head of State. He set up that referendum knowing it would fail. That was dishonest. Every bit as dishonest is this plan by the Board of SGLMG to allow themselves to appoint 4 of the Directors – which effectively means that the Elected Members will always be out-voted, that nepotism will reign. Mardi Gras belongs to the entire GLBTIQ+ Community and should be controlled by that Community not by a small group of people who want total control.
Why is it the CEO,a paid employee, who is commenting on this issue? It should be somebody from the Board, specifically one, or both, of the co-chairs.
I suggest the in-fighting is orchestrated by the so called ‘Pride in Protest’ mob who have more to do with their Socialist agenda and over-throwing Mardi Gras in their on-going disruptive attempts to turn it into a radical protest organisation than constructively supporting its celebratory nature fostering LGBTQ+ Arts, Artists, Cultural and community events plus it’s aim to give voice to its diverse community.
I see nothing sinister about the constitution adjustments to comply with Government rules and MG has been completely open and consultative about the process. MG have conducted several Zoom discussion events and continue to welcome voices from our community. I do however see much that is sinister about radical socialist groups taking over community organisations to achieve their own destructive goals.
What does it matter ? They always run at a loss. Too many chiefs, not enough real workers. If a profit was made, it could be used to reinvest within the needy of our communities, especially for those who are homeless & /or ill.
All directors MUST be elected. That is what democracy is all about. There should be no requirement that any director belongs to any particular race, creed, sex or gender. Nor should the 78ers, of which I am one, be included unless voted in by a majority of members. For the record, I am a 78er who was at Sydney’s first gay Mardi Gras and the morning march. Not one of those phones who have been co-opted. We know that most of the 78ers who continue to involve themselves in the politics of Mardi Gras are, for the most part, drawn from the curious minorities on the fringes of our movement. Some are blatant liars in what they claim and how they describe their connection to Sydney’s first gay Mardi Gras.