Anthony Albanese to be first prime minister to march in Mardi Gras parade

By DOUGLAS MAGALETTI

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that he will be the first Australian prime minister to march in a Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

Albanese made the announcement while speaking at the opening of Newtown’s Pride Square on Saturday afternoon.

“I’ll also be the first prime minister not to watch the march on Mardi Gras, but to march,” he said to cheers from the crowd.

Hundreds of people gathered at Newtown’s Pride Square (formerly Bedford Square), along with politicians, activists, and performers to witness the unveiling of its centrepiece, a permanent progress flag beacon.
MC’d by drag king Big Rod, performers included Worship Queer Collective, Deep Sea Astronauts, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir, Sexy Galexy, and The Kings.

‘We Need To Celebrate Our Diversity’

Albanese spoke about the importance of celebrating our diversity.

“We speak a lot about tolerance. And tolerance is really important. But this is about a step that’s way more important than tolerance. We need to celebrate our diversity, not just tolerate it, because our diversity is what gives our society strength.”

He continued, “We can be a beacon for the world. One that says regardless of who you believe in, who you love, what your gender is, what your ethnicity is, you will be given respect, and we will celebrate that diversity.”

Just before the unveiling, he thanked all that made this unveiling possible, saying, “A huge shout out to everyone who has made this possible, and a huge shout out to the 78ers and all those who struggle for human rights and a big congratulations to the inner west council for showing leadership.

“I really look forward the next month will be a fantastic celebration. With pride coming here to Australia.”

The Big Reveal

The Progress Pride Flag curtain covering the beacon was a little stubborn to remove.

Shouts of encouragement came from the crowd.

“Rip it!”

“Just rip it, Albo!”

“Rip and tear Albo, rip and tear,” exclaimed Big Rod.

“It’s symbolic of the struggle,” Albanese quipped back.

“We cant just unveil a pride beacon, we gotta have a bit of struggle with it too,” joked Big Rod.

Finally, with a yank, the curtain dropped, revealing the rainbow centrepiece which now marks Pride Square.

‘Be True To Yourself, Be Authentic’

Speakers at the event also included former Matildas’ vice-captain Moya Dodd, ParaMatilda Nicole Christodoulou, Trans Pride Australia President Anna Pye, and CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation Shane Sturgis.

In a conversation with Star Observer, Pye explained the importance of such a safe space, specifically for trans people.

“It’s creating a safe space and I think that all community, all the queer alphabet, need to have that space. But trans people need to have the feeling of safety.”

In a message for trans and gender-diverse kids, Pye said, “Enjoy the journey. The grown-ups, the trailblazers are here to support you as much as possible. It is safe. Just be true to yourself, be authentic, be true, and you’ll get there.”

Opportunity To Create Safer communities

Speaking on the opportunity that this safe space creates, Sturgis stressed, “We need to use this opportunity in the spaces like this that are coming up and being made available to community to start educating others. So we don’t just have safe spaces, but we’re creating safer communities.

“It’s one thing to know that you can come here and you can feel safe, you can be your genuine self. But the bigger issue lies once you walk out the front door of your safe space and you’re then faced back into community.

“We need to make sure that we are educating and extending those safe spaces to make safe communities.”

Inner West Council renamed the space outside Newtown Town Hall in November last year, from Bedford Square to Pride Square. The area was upgraded to include illuminated timber seating clusters, inspired by milk crates, scattered throughout the space. Rainbows spill out throughout nearby Camperdown Memorial Park.

Sydney WorldPride 2023

Sydney WorldPride 2023 begins on February 17. The Queer mega-festival will go on for 17 days, ending on March 5. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will be on Saturday, February 25.

With over 500,000 people expected to take part, this will be the biggest LGBTQI event to happen in the Southern Hemisphere.

It will also mark the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras, which took place on June 24, 1978, along Oxford Street. The march, which was held to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York City, was initially peaceful but culminated in police violence.

For information on Sydney WorldPride 2023, go to sydneyworldpride.com