# Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574 "2001-03-03T00:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/1 "2001-03-03T00:54:07Z")
**HAPPY MARDI** - oops, I’m shouting… Happy Mardi Gras Dopers! I’m up here in Sydney (from Melbourne) with my wonderful boy, paradin’ and partyin’, and wishing that all of you who can’t be here this time can make it one day in future. **Esprix, matt\_mcl, andygirl, Anthractite** , and you others, you know who you are. We’re staying in a funny little hotel just off Oxford Street, which is full of handsome men and beautiful women, all holding hands with themselves. Well, with each other, you know what I mean. sorry , I’m overexcited. Feeling full of good will (no it’s NOT drugs!) and high spirits. Look out for me on TV - I’m the one in the leather chaps with my buttocks flying free in the breeze. Gay and Proud Redboss [sub]I love youse all[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/2 "2001-03-03T03:13:05Z")
Well, color me jealous, if for no other reason than the weather in Aussieland is probably better than here in “sunny” southern California. :rolleyes: Grab a cute li’l Asian boy for me[sub]and pack him into a suitcase and mail him to me overnight express[/sub]! 😉 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/3 "2001-03-03T06:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m the one in the leather chaps with my buttocks flying free in the breeze. Oh, that one… Well, that doesn’t sound like a common outfit. I’m sure you’ll be easy to spot. 😉 I’ll keep an eye out for you from the crowd. I found this nice shirt that my grandfather bought when he was in hawii and never wore. It’s been around the house since 1954. It’s awesome. For all those interested it’s being webcast at [http://www.mardigras.com.au](http://www.mardigras.com.au) My favourite part is the protests by the christians right at the beginning, proclaiming that most people don’t want the mardi gras in Sydney. There’s usually about 50-60 of them and 500 000 - 600 000 people in the crowd. (these numbers are not exagerations). ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/4 "2001-03-03T08:06:52Z")
One of these days, I tell you. \ ---
**Author:** ![big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/5 "2001-03-03T13:42:35Z")
Got all dressed up and into the city and found a shitload of milkcrates in the back of my dads pizza shop to stand on and my friend didn’t turn up and so I missed it. Didn’t even get the curtosy of a phone call to tell me that she wasn’t coming either… \ Guess I’ll have to watch it tomorrow on TV… but it’s nothing like being there. Three years ago a half naked Xena Warrior Princess spanked me with a plastic sword. You miss that sort of thing on the telly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/6 "2001-03-03T14:25:30Z")
I’ll add it to my list, right after my (ever-receding) trip to Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/7 "2001-03-03T15:20:48Z")
I’ve done Mardi Gras in New Orleans (I used to live there) and have always wondered what other places are like. The Carnival in Rio sounds fabulous…er, excuse me **Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous**. I’ve heard that Mardi Gras in Sydney is even better. Post pix when/if you can! ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/8 "2001-03-03T15:33:14Z")
I found a [link](http://www.mardigras.com.au/flashintro.asp) to the Sydney celebration. I hope you are having lots of fun. Stay safe and happy! ----:)/ ----///\\ ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/9 "2001-03-03T17:20:20Z")
Maybe I’ll just have to cash in all those Delta miles, swing by England, pick up **Fierra** , and go down under… to Australia! What did you think I meant? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/10 "2001-03-03T20:41:58Z")
Nothing, until you said that… ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/11 "2001-03-04T02:21:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > **Well, color me jealous, if for no other reason than the weather in Aussieland is probably better than here in “sunny” southern California.** Oh believe me … it is. We’ve had nothing but beautiful weather for months now. 😃 And I’m so bummed - this is the first year I’ve missed watching the Mardi Gras in ages. My dad gets even more excited about it than I do; he sits infront of the TV with one night’s supply of food and admires the costumes. [sub](Or so he says)[/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/12 "2001-03-05T07:06:11Z")
and some of the highlights were: the parade: the theme of gay parenting - as a response to recent prime ministerial blusterings about lesbians and access to birth programs, there were a series of wonderful groups leading the parade, including pink flamingos (they deliver the gay babies, y’know), parents and friends of Lesbians and gays, and children of gay parents (organised by the kids themselves). A huge bunch of happy laughing, loving people who make those old men in Canberra look nasty and petty. several marching/dancing groups, including (listening, **Esprix**?) about seventy gay asian men, in red loincloths, buffed from the gym, but in a slender, sensual asian way, dancing in precise unison all the way up the street. also marching, the collection of gay military members, with international participants, who gave a very different meaning to “present arms” The gay football team (real), whose slogan seems to be “pass the ball, bitch!” But **andygirl and Anthracite** - not enough sensational women! Sure, the dykes on bikes were sexy and scary as always, and their wussy sisters, dykes on trikes were suitably cute. But apart from the phalanx of Wonder Woman look-alikes (her 60th anniversary this year, y’know - Great Hera!)there weren’t so many impressive women’s groups as usual. We had a great time at the party, dancing, chatting to old friends, staring at others, and being stared at ourselves, at got home about 9.30 am, boy still on his leash. Still feel tired - but thought you might like to know. Flying back to Melbourne tomorrow night. **big\_yellow** is absolutely right - you gotta see it in the flesh, and interact with the participants!Try for it folks… Thanks for the link \*\*Spider lady \*\*, and that wasn’t you in that green web-shaped costume, was it? **Freyr** I’ll let everyone know when links of parade pics are up somewhere. Redboss [sub]I love youse all\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sydney-gay-and-lesbian-mardi-gras/56574/13 "2001-03-05T17:17:19Z")
Thanks for the post, it’s great to hear it went so well. You sound like you had an amazing time - I’m so jealous! This is the second year in a row I haven’t been there (having been in self-imposed exile in the UK for two years) and I really miss it. I miss the endless screaming hordes of Dykes On Bikes, the proud, smiling PFLAG marchers and the massive cheer that sweeps through the crowd as the NSW Police Force comes marching down the street. Oh, and the Sydney Marching Boys of course. 😉 I miss the spectacle, the glitter, the bare arses, the humour, the political statements, the dog collars and the really bad drag queens. I miss Vanessa Wagner roaming the streets and I miss having a laugh at Fred Nile and his band of freaks. I sure as hell miss the feeling of the night - fun, freedom, safety, celebration and joyful acceptance. I even miss the epic quest to find enough milk crates for everyone to stand on (“You want _how much_?”). I was with a bunch of Aussies on Saturday night and we were all feeling homesick. So we hit the local gay joints and got drunk (hey, it’s the Australian thing to do!), and wished everyone “Happy Mardi Gras”. Didn’t produce quite the same results as it does at home, but it made us feel better. Our hearts were swelling with patriotic pride when Kylie Minogue’s “Shocked” played as the final tune for the night. So we took over the podium and danced our hearts out for 'Straya. For Pauline and Cathy and Fred and Vanessa and Sir Donald and most of all for little Johnny Howard. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Redboss \* > > **[sub]I love youse all[/sub]** (Sigh.) I miss Australia.