Albert Kruger: Last News

Eurovision Champion 2014 and legendary drag queen Conchita Wurst performed at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day on Sunday, February 19.The free all-day outdoor event served as a kick-off for the Sydney WorldPride 2023 festivities.  A post shared by Conchita Wurst (@conchitawurst)According to organisers, an estimated 70,000 people attended, making this one of the largest Fair Days ever, even with the intense heat and humidity.The day featured live performances, the mini-Vogue Ball, the Doggywood Pageant, bars, family-friendly picnic areas, and over 300 retail, food, and community stalls from business, sports, political, government, religious and health groups.The all-day Queer extravaganza also had multiple entertainment stages, dance floors, and drag performances. The First Nations Circle, back for the second year, celebrated Queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.Image: Jess Gleeson“We are thrilled with the success of Fair Day yesterday, which was the perfect way to kick off the next two weeks of Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride,” Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said.“With 70,000 attendees throughout the day, the event was a true celebration of diversity, community, and inclusion. This was local resident, Bryan Tabada’s first Mardi Gras Fair Day. He enjoyed celebrating among the community and spent the day galavanting with friends. “My favourite part was seeing the most number of queer people I’ve ever seen in my life,” Tabada shared.“It feels so good being surrounded by people that I identify with and have shared experiences with.

The NSW Police have apologised to  ‘78er Barbara Karpinski for ejecting her from the Sydney Cricket Ground stadium where she was watching the Mardi Gras parade on March 5. In response to questions from Star Observer, a NSW Police spokesperson issued the following statement on Friday: “The NSW Police Force is taking this matter very seriously and is conducting inquiries to determine why and how this incident occurred and ensure it is not repeated.”   “We apologise sincerely to the 78er who was asked to leave and to all 78ers and the LGBTIQA+ communities broadly. Our dialogue and communication with the LGBTIQA+ communities will continue to build on the solid relationship we have established together.”Barbara KarpinskiWhen Star Observer informed Karpinski of the apology last night, she thanked both the NSW police and Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger for their swift apologies, but she said that action rather than more apologies are needed. She said that although sceptical, she remains hopeful that communication and openness are the way forward.This is not the first time that NSW Police have apologised to Karpinski who was arrested as a schoolgirl in 1978.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chief executive Albert Kruger has called for a full NSW police investigation into the circumstances that led to the ejection of one of the original ‘78ers Barbara Karpinski from her seat in the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night. He has also initiated an internal Mardi Gras investigation. Kruger told the Star Observer that he is in no doubt that the incident happened. He said that the police action was “unacceptable” and that he is “upset about it to be honest”. Karpinski was removed after standing briefly in the stadium seating area holding a handmade poster calling for peace and an end to the war in Ukraine.

Fair Day returned to Sydney’s Victoria Park on Sunday to kick off the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2022 season, after being cancelled last year due to COVID 19. The free all-day event featured performances, the popular Doggywood Pageant, specialty bars, and over 200 stalls from community, business, sports, political, government, religious and health groups.According to organisers, an estimated 35,000 people attended, making this one of the largest Fair Days on record. For the first time this year, the event featured a First Nations Circle, which included Aboriginal community and business tents. After missing out on connecting with family last year, the heat posed no barrier to all the hugging, strutting, and dancing.Image: Jeffrey Feng “After having a year off in 2021, you could really feel that the community had missed Fair Day,” Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Annual General Meeting was held Saturday, January 29. None of the original motions were debated, in a vote marked by technical delays.At the beginning of the AGM, a procedural motion was raised by 78ers Diane Minnis and Ken Davis, co-chairs of the group First Mardi Gras, that “motions 1-5 not be heard.” This motion was passed with 67% of the vote.As soon as the results were announced, Kyle Olsen and Troy Murphy, proposers of motions 1-5, called a second procedural motion requesting that “motions 6-14 not be heard.”This second procedural motion passed with 52% of the vote.