Mardi Gras should expand to western Sydney — Labor NSW election candidate
Image: As per tradition, the Dykes on Bikes gets the crowd revved up just before the start of the 2015 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. (Photo: Ann-Marie Calilhanna; Star Observer)
LABOR’S candidate for the Sydney electorate in tomorrow’s NSW state election has said the city’s Mardi Gras should relocate part of its festival to western Sydney to help change attitudes towards people outside of the inner city.
Edwina Lloyd, a criminal lawyer, also said she would spearhead a campaign aimed at revitalising the Oxford St precinct.
However, Lloyd’s rival for the seat has said only the Greens could be trusted to always vote for equality.
Despite Labor being tipped to make gains across NSW on Saturday, the party is predicted to struggle against the Liberals and sitting independent MP Alex Greenwich in the LGBTI-centric electorate of Sydney.
According the analysis by the ABC, based on the 2011 result Labor – which didn’t contest the 2012 by-election that saw Greenwich elected – could even end up in fourth place behind the Greens.
However, Lloyd said she was unfazed by the projection.
“I’m in it to win it,” she told the Star Observer.
“I have received emails from Liberal voters and independent voters who are dissatisfied and have decided to vote for Labor this election.
“We’ve gained a lot of ground and as they say, every underdog has her day and Saturday might just be ours.”
Like all Sydney candidates, Lloyd supports marriage equality but she said if further LGBTI rights were to get over the line residents from outside “the city bubble” need to be engaged.
“The way to progress the marriage equality agenda is by appealing to the hearts and minds of people in the outer suburban and regional areas, where support for marriage equality is at its weakest,” she said.
“I would like to… see if we can stage a satellite Mardi Gras event in western Sydney.”
While Lloyd didn’t spell out whether this would involve moving a current Mardi Gras activity or creating a new event entirely, one idea was to stage a stripped-down parade through the streets of a western hub such as Parramatta.
Alongside her support for Taylor Square’s giant rainbow flag, Lloyd has also produced a regeneration plan for Oxford St – called Sparkle Sydney – which calls for collaboration between local and state governments and advertising on trains and buses.
The Greens’ Chris Brentin conceded to the Star Observer that he only had an outside chance of winning Sydney.
“I’m not just doing this to win – I agree with the Greens’ policies, I’ve managed to run a good campaign and I feel there is no greater honour,” he said.
Asked if it was a struggle standing against both independent and Labor candidates, Brentin said his party had a clear point of difference: “The Greens are a far more progressive party than Labor who are only progressive after we’ve tied their hands and brought them over kicking and screaming.”
Brentin added that unlike an independent member, “the Greens have representation at local, state and federal level and a party behind you so you’ve got that critical mass”.
A psychologist with practices in Leichhardt and Liverpool, Brentin said the Greens were committed to changing clauses in the current Anti-Discrimination Act which allow religious schools and other bodies to bar LGBTI people.
“The Greens will not stop until all the exemption are removed,” he said.
If elected, Pendeleos said she wanted to be a voice for the environment, animal welfare and equality in a Liberal government.
Greenwich said he was beholden only to his constituents, not to party whips, and would look to amend the Anti-Discrimination Act and end the requirement of trans* people to divorce if they undergo transition when they are already married.
RELATED: Why the gays can’t even vote straight (analysis)
RELATED: Community organisations release NSW election survey results
You May Also Like
We have “Parramatta Pride Picnic”… That just keeps getting bigger and better each year… :-)
Parramatta I thought already hosted some events. The parade and party are part of Oxford Street/Sydney LGBTIQ history. It would be like moving Stonewall in NY to New Jersey, we are not putting NJ down, but it has no historical link to events.
Mardi Gras celebrates an unfortunate part of our history when as a person who wasn’t heterosexual we were legally treated as a criminal. This fact lost on the young. We still do not have equality, the fight continues.
No..Need Visa to go there
But streets aren’t wide enough in Parramatta…
HELL YEAH…
Nope.
Of course not!!
There is only one place and one street called OXFORD in Sydney
The place were it was Fort and history was made
We are the LGBTQ COMMUNITY and we are here to stay
Love parramatta ! Love the west – but keep the parade in the city :)
Aah..yeh
Not really….
Not ever!
No!
Certainly not!
There no reason why it can’t, if there is a large enough market for it. If an event out west was likely to be successful, there would be money made – meaning someone would undoubtably be cashing in on it by now. Maybe the market just isn’t big enough out there compared to the city? Consider international tourists etc travelling that far out from the main city for a single event? Probably won’t happen so less tickets sold.
No way, if you want to get bashed just hang around George St. cinemas at night. Have it on King St. Newtown instead. Oxford St is now so dead that when the Mardi Gras parade is on it’s like dancing on someones grave. 10 years from now younger gay people will not even know what Oxford St. was about. The way the whole Darlinghurst gay scene was (mostly) killed off is utterly disgusting, on a walk one day between Liverpool St. and Paddington i think i counted nearly 100 empty shops.
No way!!!
What a stupid question. What does Oxford street symbolise?
Trash. $2 shops. A ghetto.
No there are other things u can do out west, like a fair day to get all the rainbow families out in their area… Not the safest area of Sydney… Definitely not gay nightlife worthy… Yet. Start small work up.
Closer for me but totally understand.
Ah no. We have enough problems with their police coming to our event and throwing people on their heads. Great let’s move the parade there, put our lives in their hands and be murdered by haters. Oh great what fun!!!
Who ever came up with this idea should be drop kicked!
You see how stupid you sound accusing the police of violence then saying someone should drop kicked, right?
Sorry I correct my comment. The idea is what I meant to say should be drop kicked!!
NO!!
Why move mg to Parramatta when a new event could be started to wave the rainbow flag?
A woman got murdered in Parramatta during Mardi Gras this year…
NO NO NO!
Hell No!
No not a chance.
I live in the west and it’d make a cheap cab ride! Where do I sign up?
Parramatta is a separate city. So how about a separate pride parade?
(too many Richard Daviess here! ) :-)
Never.
Um. No, thanks.
No