JOY 94.9: From protest to pride, SGLMG Fair Day with the 78ers, Harbour City Bears Inclusivity & JOY joins forces with SBS at Mardi Gras

On this episode of The Informer we head to Sydney as they kick off the anniversary of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for 2018, celebrating their 40th anniversary.

What the 2-week festival is now to the NSW LGBTIQ communities and to Australia is something very different to what it was back in 1978, with the festival moving from protest, to pride.

This year Mardi Gras theme is 40 years of evolution and the informer was at Mardi Gras family friendly community day yesterday, Fair Day in Victoria Park, to speak to the communities about what Mardi Gras means to them.

We speak to some of the 78ers as we look back on how a celebration that turned into protest marked an era of change for celebrating pride in Australia.

We head to the Bear Tree and find out about NSW inclusive bear community, truly creating a diverse environment for everyone, and we will find out what JOY has in store for their special Mardi Gras broadcast as we celebrate 40 years over 4 days.

Listen to the segment on the Joy Media website (duration: 26:23 — 18.1MB).

This episode was hosted by Lara Dickinson on JOY 94.9 on 19th February 2018.

Grant received for 40th Anniversary Art Exhibition

First  Mardi Gras has received a $6,000 grant from the City of Sydney Council to stage 40 Years of Queer Art: Rebellion and Subversion. The Exhibition will run for two weeks during the 2018 40th Anniversary Mardi Gras Festival.  See 40th Anniversary on this website for more details. 

Kim Leutwyler

Yes rally in Parramatta

A Yes rally will be held at Parramatta on October 29 at 11.30am outside of the Parramatta Town Hall. It will then march to the annual Pride Picnic on the Parramatta River Foreshore.

78ers lead Marriage Equality rally

Together with Community Action Against Homophobia, 78ers today led the largest GLBTIQ march in Australian history. 78ers were acknowledged by speakers at the rally held in Sydney Town Hall Square before leading the march to Circular Quay. The number of participants attending the rally and march was estimated at 30,000. Participants were still leaving Town Hall Square after the march leaders had arrived at the Quay.