In this May edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have:
- Diane Minnis on Salon78: Celebrating Rainbow History – Saturday 25 June
- Bill Ashton on 78ers Mardi Gras Anniversary Drinks – Sunday 26 June
- Diane Minnis on Our plans for the 45th Anniversary Mardi Gras
- Sue Fletcher on Police over-reach or just the same old tactics?
- Paul van Reyk on the Sydney Memorial for Kendall Lovett
- Rebbell Barnes on our Social Lunch – Sunday 5 June
- Information on ACON's Taking Control: LGBTQ+ Toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life Decisions – 1.30-4.30pm, Wednesday 15 June, Glebe Town Hall
- Information on CARR’s Fight for LGBTI+ Rights! Demo – Saturday 25 June
- Information on the Queer Liberation Conference – 25-26 June
- Information on Varuna’s LGBTQIA + online program for writers 65 +
- How to donate to Appeals for Northern Rivers and Ukraine
- Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on How to get your 78ers and CAMP badges
- Calendar of Events.
The next First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting on Saturday 4 June (4pm by Zoom) will continue discussing plans for the 45th Anniversary Mardi Gras season in 2023. Our next Social Lunch is at 12pm on Sunday 5 June at The Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont.
Diane Minnis
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As part of our Sydney Pride Festival commemorations this year, First Mardi Gras Inc. is presenting an online Salon78 forum – Celebrating Rainbow History.
In this forum we will have presentations from Rainbow History Class, which produces short fun Tik Tok clips on our history. Some 78ers have been interviewed and have provided information for these vignettes.
Other speakers will look at more traditional written representations of our history – based on documents and oral resources. We will discuss the best ways of preserving our communities’ history and getting it across to younger generations.
Check out: Home | RainbowHistoryClass – The LGBTIQA+ history you don't get in school.
To register for this online event at 5.30pm on Saturday 25 June, email info@78ers.org.au to receive the Zoom link.
Diane Minnis
78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
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Join us for our Drinks to celebrate the 44th Anniversary of the first Mardi Gras from 5pm on Sunday 26 June. All 78ers, partners and supporters are welcome.
We are trying a new venue – Kinselas at Taylor Square (383 Bourke Street). It ticks all the boxes, being on the ground floor, easy to access and open to the street for fresh air.
First Mardi Gras Inc. will be providing finger food and bar prices are very reasonable (Beer $7.70 schooner, Wine $8 glass). We will also conduct a raffle on the night. If you want to stay on, Bistro meals are good value.
Kinselas have been lovely to deal with and are looking forward to hosting 78ers for this anniversary event. Let us know if you can come along to Kinselas at 5pm on Sunday 26 June, email info@78ers.org.au.
The Sydney Pride Festival 2022 – Be Brave, Be Strong, Be You launches at the Stonewall Hotel on the Thursday 2nd June. Sydney Pride Festival will run until 30th June. This year's festival is about empowering each other. Check out the other events in this at Sydney Pride Festival – Sydney Pride Festival 2022.
Bill Ashton
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member
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In 2017, our newly formed First Mardi Gras Inc. bought 78ers together to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Mardi Gras in 2018. We swung into action, raised funds and produced some outstanding events including a Trivia Night, The First Mardi Gras: Was the Pain Worth the Gain? An afternoon with 78ers forum, 40 years of Queer Art: Rebellion and Subversion exhibition, and a Cocktail Party. Red Raw put on a 78ers Tribute Night and Queerstories hosted a night featuring stories from 78ers.
We also ran Seeking all 78ers Campaign to locate 78ers we had lost touch with and crowd funded to bring low-income 78ers to Sydney for the 40th Anniversary Mardi Gras.
Donations, some sponsorship and fundraising supported these events and SGLMG supported our fund to bring low-income 78ers to Sydney and made a contribution to Cocktail Party costs.
45th Anniversary Plans
So what are we looking to do for the 45th Anniversary Mardi Gras season in 2023? Are we older, tireder and more geographically dispersed than we were five years ago? Or can we gather our resources, draw together and produce exceptional events to celebrate 78ers, the 45th Anniversary of the first Mardi Gras and Sydney World Pride!
At our last General Meeting on 7 May we started discussing plans for our events for the 45th Anniversary. Some of the ideas that came up were:
- A celebratory Cocktail Party for 78ers – especially those travelling to Sydney for the 45th Anniversary Mardi Gras. We would seek funding from Sydney World Pride and Mardi Gras. At the 78ers Committee meeting on 25 May, one of the Mardi Gras Co-Chairs suggested an event where 78ers welcome pioneers of overseas prides and photos of early pride events could be shown.
- A Queerstories event
- History Walk and Bus tours of the first Mardi Gras, with income from ticket sales supporting other events
- That 78ers be represented at all the major Mardi Gras and Sydney World Pride events
- Members of the 20th Anniversary 78er’s Festival Events Group and a few others are working on reprinting It was a Riot! The group is also working on a new book of 78ers experiences and aim to launch the books and sell them during the Mardi Gras Festival and Sydney World Pride.
- There was discussion of an exhibition of our community’s political history with photos, videos and sound recordings. Though it was noted that the State Library of NSW is mounting a major exhibition to coincide with the 45th Anniversary.
- The meeting also noted that we should have speakers and present workshops at the Human Rights Conference that is part of Sydney World Pride.
At this stage, we will be focussing on the Cocktail Party for 78ers, History Walk and Bus tours and the publication and reprint of the books.
But we need you to help get these events up and running! We will be putting around a survey to all 78ers soon, so you can contribute your ideas, feedback and volunteer for Working Groups. You can also get back to us on info@78ers.org.au.
Diane Minnis
78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
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In Australia, we have a culture of Police presence at demonstrations and at major events – including the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. In the past two years we have seen policing at the Black Lives (BLM) matter demonstration in Sydney that employed the same tactics used against us in 1978. Those tactics are:
- Funnel demonstrators
- Corral demonstrators
- Reduce the ability for demonstrators to leave
- Tell demonstrators to disperse
- Block all avenues of departure and
- Arrest everyone because they didn’t follow the police directive to leave (because they couldn’t!!).
This is a police tactic that has been in use for 50+ years.
We see hints of these tactics at other demonstrations in NSW. When raised with NSW Police, they wouldn’t discuss the BLM demonstration, as it was viewed as tactics and NSW Police don’t discuss tactics.
At recent LGBTIQ demonstrations in Sydney we have seen a strong police presence and they have used helicopters circling above. The helicopters create not only noise, but put demonstrators on edge. Why are there helicopters, there are plenty of police on the ground. Does it seem like over-reach or excessive policing?
Update on Police ejecting Parade Viewers
We have patiently waited months for a response from NSW Police regarding the removal of Barbara Karpinski and others in the 78ers SCG seating during the Parade. There is still no information from the Police on this.
We were to have a meeting on13 May with NSW Police – with Diane Minnis, Peter Murphy and I representing 78ers and Albert Kruger from SGLMG.
At the NSWPF LGBTIQA+ Stakeholder Forum on 9 May, which Diane, Peter and I attended, Assistant Commissioner Galina Talbot announced the meeting had been cancelled as Barbara was taking legal action.
Information about the other people ejected from the 78ers seating area had been sent to Police a month earlier. When Diane asked about the ejection of this group, Assistant Commissioner Talbot said she had no knowledge of the incident.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
At the SGLMG 78ers Committee meeting on 25 May, the Mardi Gras Co-Chairs told us they were meeting with Police but could not discuss Barbara’s ejection from the SCG. We urged them to ask about the other people ejected from the 78ers seating area and under what authority Police acted.
Some questions for NSW Police
Some questions for NSW Police that remain unanswered:
- Does every police officer working at Mardi Gras Parade attend the briefing meeting?
- Does the briefing include a message of a light touch for the Parade?
- Do they ensure queer-friendly police or police that have completed the Gay and Lesbian Liaison course are working at our events?
- Why wasn’t the removal of participants documented by NSW Police?
- What happens when Police Officers fail to document their actions?
This article has more questions than answers. What is happening in your state? Do you think Covid restrictions may have contributed to over-reach by police and if so what can we do about it? How do we get NSW Police to pull back on their heavy-handed police tactics at our queer events?
Sadly, I feel that as much as NSW Police have increased their community engagement, they are still deaf to our needs. Like many others I will stay in the room and try to be heard and engage with them, but I am not feeling confident we will be listened to; and the disconnect with community engagement will be trumped by tactics.
Sue Fletcher
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member
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A simple ceremony was held on Sunday 15th May to celebrate the life of Kendall Lovett at the AIDS memorial and groves in Sydney Park, St Peters. The weather held good, a warm autumn day in Sydney. As friends and comrades gathered each wrote some heartfelt words in a book for his partner Mannie De Saxe.
Mother Inferior first sanctified the AIDS memorial cairn with the fumes of frankincense. Mannie had placed photographs of Kendall and himself around the cairn, and the Kendall Bear that Ken's sister knitted for him was perched on top.
Mother began the ceremony with renditions on the accordion of Bella Ciao, The Internationale, the Red Flag and, inexplicably, How Much Is That Doggie in the Window. Then Paul van Reyk read a biography of Kendall.
Mannie spoke about his coming out at an advanced age, his first meetings with Ken, and their 30 year relationship as both loving partners and comrades in LGBTIQ advocacy, and about their 37 years of tree planting with the group they set up – the Sydney Park AIDS Memorial (SPAIDS).
Friends and comrades of Kendall shared their memories of Ken and of his and Mannie's perfect match.
Paul then read out a letter of appreciation and sympathy from Clover Moore, and an email from Betty Hounslow who sent her thoughts and sympathy from New York.
All then joined in singing a version of Mother Inferior's hymn for Saint Kendall the Constant with words beautifully re-written for the occasion of gathering in the AIDS grove.
Mannie, accompanied by Paul, Jo and Rob, then scattered Kendall's ashes among the trees planted during the first and second SPAIDS plantings.
As he was leaving, Mannie placed a stone on the top of the cairn – a Jewish traditional act of remembrance and respect.
Paul, Ken Davis and Rob Lake are putting together the readings and photographs from the event to deposit with the Australian Queer Archives which holds also an oral history from Kendall. The photos will also be made into photobook for Mannie. If you have photos you would like to share in these ways, please send them as attachments to Paul at pvanreyk@gmail.com.
Paul van Reyk
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Our next Social Lunch is at 12pm on Sunday 5 June, at the Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont. The Terminus is accessible via the Light Rail and by bus from Town Hall. Street parking is also available. RSVP: info@78es.org.au.
Rebbell Barnes
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member
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We will be talking about the unique issues and concerns LGBTQ+ people face with palliative care and death planning. Free Event – REGISTER HERE, Wednesday 15 June 2022, 1.30-4.30pm, Glebe Town Hall, 160 St Johns Road, Glebe. Russ: 02 9206 2017, rgluyas@acon.org.au. |
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Protesting has pushed back the Religious Discrimination Bill, but we need to go on the offensive to end religious exemptions permitting schools and hospitals to fire LGBTI staff.
Community Action for Rainbow Rights
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A left wing queer rights conference at UTS to organise for a better material future for LGBTQI people. The Saturday sessions will happen after the CARR protest. Workshop submissions: https://forms.gle/1WSPKJ91GAibbJBY9.
Pride in Protest
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In partnership with Queerstories, we will run a two-week online writing program for LGBTQIA+ writers 65+. Apply by 7 June 2022 for program: 18-29 July 2022. https://www.varuna.com.au/online-programs.
Varuna, the National Writers’ House
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78ers Robert Farlow, Christine Devine and their partners have lost everything in the floods. They and other LGBTIQ community members need our support in this extremely challenging time for them.
Tropical Fruits Floods Fundraiser
Tropical Fruits are our queer family in the Northern Rivers. We have all seen the terrible impact of the floods.
If you want to know more about them and what they do, go to: https://tropicalfruits.org.au/.
If you are able to support their fundraiser campaign, go to Tropical Fruits Flood Fundraiser.
Donate $5.00 – the price of a coffee, or maybe you could add a zero! |
The Mardi Gras Workshop made their own statement about the horror of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with their waterproof wrapping of 78ers placards and banners.
Support Displaced LGBTIQ Ukrainians
Since Russia launched its devastating invasion of Ukraine, over two million Ukrainians have fled the country. The Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration needs your help to:
- Ensure LGBTIQ Ukrainians can access safe longer-term housing options
- Support partner organisations in neighbouring countries to deliver services to displaced LGBTIQ people.
Donate to LGBTIQ refugees (oramrefugee.org)
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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. Alternatively, you can post a cheque.
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. |
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Calendar of Events
- Sydney Pride Festival 2022 – 2-30 June 2022 Sydney Pride Festival
- Gold Coast Pride Beach Parade and Fair Day – Saturday 4 June 2022 HOME | GCRainbowcommunities
- First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 4 June 2022, by Zoom
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Social Lunch – 12pm, Sunday 5 June, Terminus Hotel, 61 Harris Street Pyrmont, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
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ACON's Taking Control: LGBTQ+ Toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life Decisions – 1.30-4.30pm, Wednesday 15 June, Glebe Town Hall rgluyas@acon.org.au.
- Sunshine Coast Mardi Gras – Saturday 18 June 2022 info@sunshinecoastmardigras.com.au Ticketing from $10-45
- Fight for LGBTI+ Rights demo, Campaign for Rainbow Rights – 1pm Saturday 25 June 2022, Town Hall
- Provocations: A Queer Liberation Conference, Pride in Protest – Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June 2022, UTS
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Salon78: Celebrating Rainbow History – Saturday 25 June 2022, by Zoom, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- First Mardi Gras Inc. 44th Anniversary Drinks – 5pm, Sunday 26 June 2022, Kinselas, Taylor Square, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 8 to 12 September 2022. https://www.bhfestival.com/home
- Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 27 September to 3 October 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/
- Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to 7 October to 6 November 2022, see website for details Newcastle Pride Festival - Newcastle, NSW | HUNTERhunter
- Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – 25-27 November 2022, http://www.haymardigras.com.au/
- Sapphire Coast Pride, Bega Valley, www.Facebook.com/groups/sapphirecoastpride
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