A little bit of sunshine

Ever since I was 18, I have been involved in the Mardi Gras parade. Whether it was watching from the barricades or being in a group, it has been a part of my life.

I am all for the politics and the visibility of Mardi Gras but, for me, Mardi Gras is about fun and having a laugh. I want to celebrate the lighter side of life. The thing I have loved about Mardi Gras is that it shows us, lesbians and gay men, as normal people, but with a sense of humour about our lives.

Some of the previous entries I have been involved with have included the Women’s Centre in Newtown, which turned out a little embarrassing as I managed to out myself at work through that. Oh well. Then my best friend had a child and we went in the Rainbow Babies entry and I was dressed as a drag queen.

I was also involved in an indigenous float and then there was the year we did the Iced VoVos and we won a prize in the pageant. A few years later, I went as part of the group that pushed the giant vagina up the street. There were others, but those are the ones I can remember.

But last year, I finally did my own float entry with Snow White and the Seven Dykes. I had the idea for doing that years ago and then, when I went to last year’s briefing and they said the theme was fairytales, I figured the timing was perfect. It was the first time I had rallied people together to do a float and we called ourselves the Titty Committee. We had a ball. It was exhausting, but completely worth it.

This year, we left it a little late and we were not too sure about what we were going to do. All I kept thinking about was a beauty pageant and wearing sashes with names like Miss Laid, Miss Demeanour and I was going to be Miss Hap. After the mishaps that have happened in my life, including a broken neck and a house that burnt down, I had to be Miss Hap.

One night while a group of us was having dinner, someone suggested we do a take-off of the movie Little Miss Sunshine, and I knew right then that was it. Every idea suddenly came together. When I also realised I knew someone with a Kombi van, we decided to build the idea around that.

As soon as we put the word out there, the idea just took off and everyone got it. It all just flowed. Every girl has put in $50 and I think we have done it well, with some great help from Mardi Gras. It can all come together on a budget and still work.

There are about 25 us involved in the float, with 16 beauty pageant entrants, a Little Miss Sunshine and poor grandpa wrapped up and hanging out the back. Mardi Gras helped us out with the frocks and it has all come up quite glam.

We decided to top our Kombi off with a giant tiara, which has been built in my lounge room. It is so huge now, however, that I am beginning to wonder how I am going to get it out as I know it won’t fit through the front door. I am now thinking we are going to have to work out a way to put it over the balcony on Saturday.

Last year we did try to dance our way up Oxford Street, but we got a couple of blocks and the girls just lost it. So this year, we have been having a few more practices to get it right. We are doing a routine to the song Super Freak, like the little girl does at the end of the movie. I think it is going to be quite hysterical.

With all the excitement about the movie and the Oscars this week, it should be quite exciting and lift us up to the next level. I have emailed Toni Collette to see if we can get a message from her, but I am still waiting to hear back. But I think people will like this.

I really love this lesbian and gay community we are all in. I like the fact we are all still here and we are from all walks of life, and I like that we have this opportunity to be seen. I think Mardi Gras also helps us to keep a hold of our community.

I see the girls getting in there and having their own groups, and I like that in Mardi Gras. And I plan for the Titty Committee to be back with something again next year.

Interview by John Burfitt