![]() ![]() “This is a really big moment for our rural community,” said William Weller.Īs much as the march is a celebration of queer identity, participants say it is still a protest movement. Thirty-two members of Tamworth Pride travelled more than 250 miles (400km) from the small city north of Sydney to ride in their first dedicated float down Oxford Street. “I actually can’t believe I’m here, it feels like a dream … I feel very safe here.” “I’m terrified I’m going to accidentally fall over in front of everyone and get stomped on by a Doc Marten,” Wilson said with a big smile framed by eyebrows coloured green. Fifteen-year-old Thalia Wilson marched for the first time, joining the float of the youth organisation Wear it Purple. “I’ve never seen people be so open with their identity as they are in Sydney, everywhere you go there is a rainbow telling us we are welcome.” Wearing a traditional kurta and waving the Bangladeshi flag, he said being in Sydney for WorldPride had allowed him to feel pride and celebrate his identity without fear. Tushar Kanti Baidya travelled all the way from Bangladesh, where homosexuality is criminalised, to march for the first time. This year’s parade was tipped to be the biggest yet, with a strong international presence thanks to Sydney being the first city in the southern hemisphere to host WorldPride.Ī float representing the LGBTQIA+ community in China held posters that said “Chinese queers will not be censored.” “It’s especially important for our young people watching on.” “It sends a message to the rest of the country that our community is valid and that our community matters to the government,” said Scott. This is a huge milestone for the LBTGQI+ community, said Micah Scott, the chief executive of Minus 18, a charity that supports queer youth. ![]() “We need to continue to argue for equality.” “People want to see that their government is inclusive and represents everyone, no matter who they love, no matter what their identity, no matter where they live,” he said. Mardi Gras has returned to its spiritual home on Oxford Street for the first time in three years after it was moved to Sydney Cricket Ground in 20 due to Covid-19 restrictions.Īlbanese marched alongside senior Labor figures – including the New South Wales opposition leader, Chris Minns, and the federal MP for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek – to huge cheers and claps from the crowd. ![]() Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Then came the 78ers – activists who were part of a protest in 1978 that started the tradition of the Mardi Gras parade. As is tradition, the parade started with the Dykes on Bikes and Boys on Bikes, followed by the First Nations float, which featured a 20-metre rainbow serpent. ![]()
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