Activists and revellers mingle
2004-03-06 13:54
Sydney - A man wearing a skirt and Saddam Hussein mask and carrying a pink bag emblazoned with the words "I support gay marriage" was among thousands of people who took to the streets of Sydney on Saturday night for the city's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The annual street parade was launched in 1978 as a gay rights protest, but has since transformed itself into a vibrant parade celebrating all aspects of gay culture.
Braving pouring rain, tens of thousands of people lined Saturday's procession route through Oxford Street, the centre of the city's gay scene, to watch more than 130 floats and 6 000 participants.
The floats were a mix of political causes and irreverence. One mocked a popular Australian reality television show, while another re-enacted the kiss between Britney Spears and Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards last August.
There was a serious side too, with activists campaigning for equal rights for gay people.
"We do not have equality in superannuation, or taxes, or in the defence forces," said Somali Cerise, co-convener of the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby. Superannuation is the government's pension scheme. Under federal law, gay people are not entitled to their partner's pension fund if they die.
"Also, general levels of violence are extremely high. Children face discrimination in schools," Cerise said.
The recent spate of gay weddings in San Francisco, California and New Paltz, New York also got a mention from activists. Gay marriage is illegal in Australia.
"We are reaching a stage where conservatives are winding back our rights," Cerise said. "That is what is happening in the United States."
Terry Kennedy, 69, was among members of the Metropolitan Church Communities taking part in the parade.
He said many mainstream churches in Australia discriminated against gay people.
"We have not won all our battles, that is why we as a church are here," he said.
Also in the parade was Monica Hingston, the lesbian cousin of Catholic Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell.
Pell's appointment as archbishop of Sydney in May 2001 angered the city's large gay community because he has refused to give communion to homosexuals. He once called homosexuality "a greater health hazard than smoking."
Mainly though, the parade was one big party, with scantily clad men and women ignoring the torrential rain to dance in the streets.
Amanda Hall was among a group who designed a float as a tribute to Australian country music singer Slim Dusty, who died last year.
The float was topped with a giant hat similar to Dusty's trademark headwear, and the sound system pumped out a techno version of one of his most famous songs: "I love to have a beer with Duncan."
"Slim wasn't gay, this is just a tribute," she said. "It's a fun thing to do".
- AP