In this December, end of year round up edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have:
- Karl Zlotkowski and Diane Minnis on 78ers in the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade
- Ken Davis on Mardi Gras Daytime Protest, 5 March 2022
- Karl Zlotkowski on Protest the Religious Discrimination Bill
- Robyn Kennedy on InterPride General Meeting and World Conference
- Diane Minnis on Christmas at the Colombian – with lots of photos
- Photos from the Launch of Toby Zoates’ book: Punk Outsider
- Lance Day’s Tribute to Peter Binning on his passing
- Rosie Pentreath on her new OUTcast Podcast
- Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on How to get your 78ers and CAMP badges
- Calendar of Events.
Diane Minnis
|
|
|
In the next few weeks, the Mardi Gras 78ers Committee will send out emails with a survey to register to march in the 2022 Parade. You can also volunteer for the 78ers tent at Fair Day and request a 78ers t-shirt if you don’t already have one. 78ers who are Lifetime Members of Mardi Gras will receive this email from SGLMG and First Mardi Gars Inc. will also broadcast this email to all 78ers on our list. You may get it twice…but we want to make sure that the information gets to all 78ers for whom we have contact details.
In recent weeks there have been problems with some 78er members of Mardi Gras not receiving offers of tickets in the stands at the SCG. We have been making representations to Mardi Gras to have email addresses corrected and emails resent. If you still do not have one of these seating offers, and you are a Mardi Gras member, let us know at info@78ers.org.au.
However, there will be seats in the stands for all who march in the Parade in addition to those you have booked.
Members of the elected Mardi Gras 78ers Committee are: Sue Fletcher, Helen Gollan, Penny Gulliver, Diane Minnis, Richard Riley and Karl Zlotkowski.
Karl Zlotkowski and Diane Minnis
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary and Co-Chair
|
|
Last year I took part in the Pride in Protest (PiP) organised daytime “Take Over Oxford Street March” on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade. This was a bit like 24 June 1978, with a militant daytime street march, and a larger night-time parade.
This year, some 78ers are attending the open planning meetings for a daytime protest rally on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 4 March 2022. The meetings are attended by PiP members, people from Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR), young independent activists as well as a few of us veterans of LGBTIQ struggles.
The key demand of the rally is opposing the Religious Freedom Bill along with demands around transgender rights, queer refugees, police, decriminalising sex work and Black Lives Matter.
A number of 78ers will march in this daytime protest rally, others will join the Mardi Gras Parade and some of us will do both. This seems to be the way things are going around the world – with unofficial protests alongside large official Pride celebrations.
Ken Davis
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
|
|
On 5 December 2021, 78ers once again joined a rally to protest against the Federal Government’s Religious Freedom Bill.
This Bill was introduced late in the last sitting of the year, and has now been referred to an Inquiry. Some of the more contentious elements have been removed (including the so-called “Folau Clause”) but even in its current form it remains a threat to all secular minorities. It has rightly been described as a Religious Discrimination Bill, and would effectively give licence to bigots to discriminate, if their prejudice is grounded in “faith”. It also threatens to over-ride State anti-discrimination legislation, setting back the gains of decades of struggle.
Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) organised the rally against the Bill and two rallies earlier in the year, with another scheduled for the new year.
On 5 December a crowd of several hundred assembled in Taylor Square, including a staunch band of 78ers with the “78ers - Still Out and Proud” banner. I spoke first, on behalf of the 78ers, with the aim of linking the current struggle against discrimination with the struggles of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
Other speakers – Federal Greens Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Lydia Shelly from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, CARR’s April Holcombe and Drag Race Down Under star Etcetera Etcetera – rallied the crowd before the noisy march down Oxford Street to Hyde Park, led by CARR and the 78ers.
A full video of the rally can be found here: https://fb.watch/9JweueANTT/.
The text of my speech follows. It should be clear that my intention was to underline the place of our group within the community and its history, and our intention to continue the struggle we began 50 years ago.
“I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, and their elders, past and present. I also acknowledge the elders of my own community – our community – some of whom are here today.
These people have struggled against discrimination and bigotry for over 50 years. nd that bigotry and discrimination stemmed from the views of ‘people of faith’, who use their religion as both a shield and a sword.
In 1978 these people gathered here, in this place, to start a peaceful protest down Oxford Street. That “Mardi Gras’ ended up with a riot in the Cross, police violence and mass arrests.
Those arrested were brought here, to that police station, and some were bashed in the cells. And those who did the bashing probably went to church the next day.
It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now.
In 1978 these people were aware of the activities of Anita Bryant, a right wing Christian who led a campaign to roll back anti-discrimination provisions in the employment of teachers in Miami. Her slogan was “Save our Children”. Her campaign succeeded. Her motivation was her profound religious belief.
In 1978 a similar initiative in California (the “Briggs Initiative”) failed, after a sustained campaign of resistance by gay groups in the USA. And one of those rallies in San Francisco was the first time the rainbow flag was ever flown.
The Sydney rallies in June 1978 were part of an International Day of Solidarity with those same protests in California. The first Mardi Gras was part of a global campaign to resist the right to discriminate on the grounds of religious belief.
It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now.
These people led the struggle that created our community in the 1970’s, but that struggle against bigotry was not over. In the 1980’s these people struggled against the wave of vilification and abuse directed at our community by ‘people of faith’.
HIV/AIDS was not our fault. It was not a punishment sent from God. But ‘people of faith’ believed that it was, and believed they had a right to say so.
It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now.
In 1989 the Reverend Fred Nile led a march of so-called Christians up this street to ‘cleanse’ our community. And these people met him just over there, at the head of the street. Our own Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stood by to bless his ragged crowd and all was good will until someone started chanting “Bring on the lions!”
We shouldn’t have done that, but it’s hard not to give a bit back when you’re insulted and vilified by self-appointed guardians of public decency who hide their bigotry behind a shield of faith.
It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now.
Then in the 1990’s we marched down this street, all carrying whistles, to protest against a wave of homophobic violence against our community, and the lack of police action to deal with it. We had to organise our own security patrols.
That violence was carried out by people who’d grown up believing that our community was fair game. Homophobic violence, like discrimination in education, employment, health care and aged care all stems from a belief that some people are entitled to different rights from other people, simply because they believe.
The supporters of this bill want a law to allow them to do unto others what they would not want done to them, simply because that fits with their ‘ethos’.
These people, the elders of our community, have struggled against this idea all their lives. And they will continue to fight, with you.
It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. Kill this bill!”
Karl Zlotkowski
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary
|
|
InterPride’s 2021 General Meeting and World Conference was held November 6-8 and November 11-14, 2021. The annual event was again held online due to COVID, with members of First Mardi Gras Inc. participating in a number of sessions.
This year’s workshops included a focus on the impact of colonisation. Workshops included Decolonising sexual identities, Resurgence of 2Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQIA in Canada and Pushing back against colonial era anti-LGBTQIA policies and laws in Global South. Auntie Esther Montgomery from the First Nations LGBTQIA Elders Coalition was a speaker in the Global South workshop.
Robyn Kennedy was a speaker on the panel, Intergenerational Pride: Youth and Seniors. Together with Co-President Julian Sanjivan, Robyn also presented during the second Plenary session on the outcomes of the stakeholder engagement project. The project, conducted over 12 months, aims to inform the development of a new Strategic Plan for InterPride.
A joint networking meeting was held between members in Oceania and Asia. This provided an opportunity to share information on activities and issues across both regions.
A key feature of the General Meeting and World Conference was presentations by bidding cities for WorldPride 2025. Bidding cities were Kaohsiung Pride (Taiwan) and Capital Pride (Washington, USA). After completion of the voting process, WorldPride 2025 was awarded to Kaohsiung Pride. WorldPride 2025 will be the first to be held in Asia.
Robyn Kennedy
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member
|
|
Christmas at the Colombian was our first opportunity in 21 months to get together as a larger group. The first floor bar of the Colombian Hotel has been revamped and we enjoyed drinks, finger food and catching up face to face. We also enjoyed singing some of the early 1980s Gay Liberation Quire songs led by David Abello on guitar.
The raffle that First Mardi Gras Inc. has run during the year was drawn by SGLMG Board member Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco and FMG Inc. Associate Members Alice Anderson and William Brougham. The winners were: Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco, Betty Hounslow and Leonard Watson.
Thanks to Rebbell Barnes for leading the organising effort for Christmas at the Colombian and to Bill Ashton for supplying a number of fun lucky door prizes.
Diane Minnis
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
|
|
My friend, 78er Peter Binning has passed away aged 76, only eight weeks after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Peter was a warm and generous friend. He had a presence about him and put on the best parties!
Peter was born in Poland towards the end of World War II and smuggled out as a baby to England. He was adopted at three months of age by an English couple who later migrated with Peter to New Zealand.
Peter had a very colourful life travelling the world as an opera singer and in recent years sang in opera dinner cruises on Sydney Harbour. Eight years ago, Peter lost his partner Declan. His well-attended funeral at Marrickville Town Hall was a tribute to his life in opera.
Peter loved a good time and was a fun person to know. He will be sadly missed by all his many friends.
Lance Day
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member
|
|
If you’re looking a new queer podcast, I launched @OUTcast Podcast recently. It’s a bit like Desert Island Discs, but all the guests telling their life stories are queer – and there’s less music!
Season 1 features fascinating and empowering interviews and coming out stories from the most inspiring LGBTQ+ people from all over the world, including a transgender vicar, Nigerian refugee fleeing conversion therapy, a queer sex worker, and a leader in the British Royal Air Force. Check us out at: https://outcast-podcast.zencast.website/
Rosie Pentreath
First Mardi Gras Inc. Volunteer during the 40th Anniversary year
|
|
78er badges are $5 each and postage is $3.09 (total $8.09). If you want to order more than one badge, the postage is still $3.09 for up to five badges. To order badges, email your name, postal address and the number of badges required to info@78ers.org.au. Then make your payment by funds transfer. Please use your name as the reference for your deposit. Alternatively, you can post a cheque to PO Box 1029 Glebe NSW 2037.
CAMP badges are $3.50 each plus $3.00 packaging and postage. To order and obtain pricing for multiple badges, contact Robyn Kennedy at rk.am@bigpond.com. Please include your name, address and number of badges requested. Banking details for direct deposit will be provided. |
|
|
Calendar of Events
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Extraordinary General Meeting – Thursday 23 December 2021
-
Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 19-23 January 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/
- First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 22 January 2022,
by Zoom
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Annual General Meeting – Saturday 29 January 2022
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Pre Mardi Gras Lunch – 12pm, Sunday 6 February 2022, Terminus Hotel, Pyrmont (Covid permitting), RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Salon78: Fiftieth Anniversary of Sydney Gay Liberation – 3pm, Saturday 19 February 2022, Colombian Hotel (Covid permitting) and Zoom, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day – 10am-9pm, Sunday 20 February 2022
- Mardi Gras Daytime Protest – 1pm, Saturday 5 March 2022, Oxford Street
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 5 March 2022, Sydney Cricket Ground
-
Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 24-28 March 2022 and 8-12 September 2022. https://www.bhfestival.com/festival-tickets
-
Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – 12 March 2022 (https://waggamardigras.com/
-
Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/
-
Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/
Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
