Letters to the editor – Sydney

Letters to the editor – Sydney

SUNDAY PAPERS

What a parade, and congratulations to all involved and also to all of those who organised and controlled the BGF Grandstand seating.

My other half and I sat front row in the BGF Premium seats — worth every cent — and were wowed by the Parade, the costumes, the amazing floats and the energy everyone was still showing after the long haul up Oxford and Flinders Sts to where the BGF Grandstand and seats were.

Just a couple of notes.

What happened during the parade? There were three or four very long breaks and even the commentators who gave us great and informative nonstop commentary at the BGF grandstands were lost for words.

What is it with the Sunday papers?

For an event as huge as Mardi Gras and with the number of people attending, as usual the Sunday Herald ran a small piece and photo, this time on page five.

The Sunday Telegraph printed an even more woeful and smaller article on page 19! Disgraceful!

— William

MAGICAL PARTY

I have been going to many different Mardi Gras parties and other parties for 27 years, and I have found one for the last two years that is the most fabulous of all, especially over Mardi Gras. And this year it got even bigger and better.

It is the Rising Recovery party at Q Bar, following Toybox. I would like to sincerely congratulate Johan Khoury, Randall and all the staff for the most fantastic party of all. The ‘cream of the crop’ DJs, namely Mike Kelly, Paul Heron, Wayne G, Chip, Dan Murphy, (and to others DJs you have my utmost respect, in not mentioning your names, as I don’t know you), played the most awesome music I have heard for a very long time.

The crowd was magical as well, which is the fun of a Mardi Gras party. No pretenses, just silliness and fun, fabulous, friendly, considerate, respectful people who love to dance and party to great music.

I would also like to congratulate the Colombian Hotel and staff and DJs Mark Alsop, Luke Leal and Chip for a wonderful party of dance, friendly, fabulous people and great music on Monday afternoon as well.

I know where I’ll be going next year for Mardi Gras!

— Katee

NO RESPECT

In reply to Kate’s letter regarding poor treatment of volunteers and ’78ers (SSO 1063).

Kate, I feel your pain. I volunteered last year for the third time and will not do it again.

Last year we were at the start area and were verbally abused by parade entrants for not providing enough toilets (we had nothing to do with deciding toilet numbers).

There was even a letter last year to this newspaper by one ‘parade entrant’, outraged that a volunteer ‘dared’ to go to the front of the toilet queue.

What a sad day when parade entrants show such little respect for volunteers who are on their feet all day, that they won’t even let volunteers go first so they can get back to work. Disgusting.

There is no respect shown to volunteers, hence there were noticeably fewer volunteers this year. Next year there will be fewer again.

— Val

APPALLING

After watching this year’s coverage of the Mardi Gras parade on Arena I was appalled and had to turn it off.

After years of enjoying being in the parade, being a volunteer and also being a spectator, I know the coverage this year was an amateur production and was very poorly edited.

There were too many comperes in the studio and on the street which was very confusing to keep up with.

Please do not have Louie Spence go near the parade ever again. What an embarrassment to our community his behaviour was. Ruby Rose did a great job trying to be professional while Louis was trying to upstage her, being stupid behind her back.

He was very inappropriate in a sexual way during the coverage with no respect to the police and also to the Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard puppets.

He had no idea of any floats nor what his role was.

Courtney Act, Pam Ann, and Mat were a waste of time and did not make any contribution to this coverage.

Charlotte Dawson did an okay job but could we have someone else next year instead?

— Joseph

RON WILSON

How dare [Channel Ten newsreader] Ron Wilson call anyone disgusting. It is not his job to be some kind of judge of moral decency (I believe that job belongs to religious leaders). It’s Mr Wilson’s job to report or, as was the case, interview.

It was beyond offensive to a massive community, a community that has endured more hate and intolerance than Ron Wilson will ever know, and in this day and age it is that kind of attitude that should not be tolerated.

Also, he referred to being gay/lesbian as ‘an alternative lifestyle’. Inaccurate. There is no alternative for the GLBTI community — people don’t choose to be a different sexuality — they’re born that way!

I see that both Channel Ten and Mr Wilson are already in damage control, releasing media statements ‘apologising for any offence’. A mere media statement isn’t going to cut it this time.

Perhaps Mr Wilson could make a generous donation to a GLBTI charity, just to prove he is not the intolerant bigot he appeared to be.

But then perhaps he is just that.

— Malechi

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.