Sydney Gay: 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 Drag Kings are set to break a world record when they march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Parade on February 25.In a conversation with Star Observer, drag king Big Rod, one of the float organisers, explained, “The float is called Drag Kings Unite, and it’s really about that push for representation for drag kings and showing how diverse and huge our community is.”The Drag Kings Unite float will feature a crown made of strip lighting and a DJ on an elevated platform. The parade participants will be dressed in royal colours, symbolising the drag king community’s strength and desire for more representation in the LGBTQIA+ community.Talking about the misconceptions drag kings face, Big Rod said, “I think a lot of people think drag kings don’t exist or that we aren’t as good as [drag queens]. “I would say that it’s time to stop comparing us to drag queens and respect us as our own genre, our own art form, that is just as wonderful and diverse as drag queens, and it’s time for us to share that space a bit more.”Drag king Sexy Galexy believes that drag kings do not get the same recognition as drag queens because “we live in a man’s world.”“We’ve had our mouths taped shut and pushed back to the back rooms, small rooms, offstage.

Fifteen years after 20-year-old Matthew Leveson walked out of Sydney gay nightclub ARQ and disappeared, never to be seen again alive, his parents have shared an emotional tribute. “Matty, it is fifteen years today that you were murdered and our lives changed forever.  A part of our hearts went with you to heaven,” Faye & Mark Leveson, Mathew’s parents, posted on .Matthew Leveson (right) was last seen on September 23, 2007, leaving ARQ nightclub in Sydney with his then boyfriend Michael Atkins (left).Matthew had walked out of ARQ in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in the early hours of September 23, 2007. CCTV footage showed him leaving the club with his boyfriend Michael Atkins (then 45 years old). On September 25, 2007, Matthew’s parents reported him missing and two days later on September 27, his car was found abandoned at Waratah Park Reserve in Sutherland. Matthew’s parents Faye & Mark Leveson.Matthew’s parents continued their search for their son’s body and in 2015 a coronial inquest into the death was resumed.

The NSW Teachers Federation’s and transgender service provider The Gender Centre’s applications to march in the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Parade has been rejected.In an open letter to members, NSW Teachers Federation General Secretary Maxine Sharkey revealed “with great disappointment” that their application to march in the 2023 SGLMG Parade was rejected, despite having marched in the last several parades. Sharkey acknowledged the Union’s support for Mardi Gras in the past, “including providing spaces in our conference centre and encouraging members to volunteer as marshals or float participants in Mardi Gras parades. Sharkey stressed, however, that even though the Union would not be marching in the Parade, “we will contribute to the Sydney WorldPride Amplify program.”The Gender Centre health and communications manager Eloise Brook said “We provide over 90 per cent of trans-specific services to the community in NSW,” According to an interview in the Sydney Morning Herald, SGLMG received so many applications “far exceeding our total capacity.”This year’s Mardi Gras Parade is part of Sydney WorldPride 2023.Sydney WorldPride 2023 takes place from February 17 to March 5, 2023 with nearly 1 million people expected to take part in the 17-day celebration.© Star Observer 2022 | For the latest in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, be sure to visit

A NSW Supreme Court jury  on Thursday held Hamdi Alqudsi guilty of allegedly plotting to carry out attacks on Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and other places as leader of the terrorist group ‘Shura’. The court has scheduled Alqudsi’s sentencing over two days starting October 31, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. Alqudsi was the first Australian to be convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2016 for his role in sending young men from Australia to Syria to help  Islamic State fighters in the country’s civil war. The prosecution case was that Alqudsi set up the Shura in 2013 and dubbed himself the “commander” and “emir” of the Shura. Shura means consultation council in Arabic.

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese-led Labor government would bring in a new religious discrimination bill before the Parliament. “It’s something that we will do… we are bringing the religious discrimination legislation before the parliament,” the Attorney General told Patricia Karvelas on RN Breakfast, in response to a question about whether Labor will legislate a religious discrimination law that also protects gay and trans students. Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Senator Penny Wong at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in March 2022. Image: SuppliedLGBTQI advocates have cautioned the Labor government against repeating the mistakes of the Scott Morrison government, which tried to unsuccessfully pass an anti-LGBTQI Religious discrimination bill earlier this year. The attorney general’s statement is not a new revelation.

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has warned the NSW’s minority Dominic Perrottet government that he would withdraw his support if the Premier continued to make comments against the transgender community.The Perrottet government, which does not have a majority in the NSW Parliament, relies on the support of Independents, including out gay MP Greenwich. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Perrottet is likely to meet Greenwich and trans advocates next week. Trigger Warning: This story discusses transphobic comments made by political leaders, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.Premier Perrottet had earlier this week waded into the debate on trans sportspersons in female sports, while supporting Liberal candidate Katherine Deves.

By Dr Clifford Lewis and Kevin MarkwellIn 1985, calls for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to be cancelled in response to concerns about HIV/AIDS were successfully countered by the organisers. The parade is now recognised as an important way of creating awareness of safe-sex practices, reducing the social stigma of HIV/AIDS and being a living memorial to those who died from it. In 2020, like many other major events, the Mardi Gras parade became a victim of another virus: COVID-19.

2 min read The Sydney Cricket Ground was awash in a vibrant display of pride and self-expression on Saturday night as the iconic Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade united LGBTQIA+ communities from all over Australia.

Yesterday, LGBTQI communities and their friends celebrated the 44th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in a supernova of glitter, glitz, and glam.Performers included singer-songwriter Darren Hayes, Vanessa Amorosi, The Wiggles, and Timothy Springs.Darren Hayes, former member of bestselling Australian pop duo Savage Garden, performed The Animal Song, Affirmation, and Do You Remember, and the crowd was ecstatic.Matt Akersten, Pride and Diversity Officer for Sydney WorldPride 2023, tweeted, “What a night! How’s how the 2022 [Sydney Mardi Gras] Parade ended, a dazzling show with [Darren Hayes]”What a night! How’s how the 2022 @sydneymardigras Parade ended, a dazzling show with @darrenhayes!

For the last week, Sydney has been hit with what seems like a never-ending deluge of torrential rain, and it isn’t over yet.With the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade happening this Saturday, many in the community are wondering what this will mean for the festivities and celebrations at the  Sydney Cricket Grounds.File photo of the Sydney Mardi Gras 2021 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Photo: Ann-Marie CalilhannaWell, rest assured.

March 5,  Sydney Cricket Ground at 6pmIn his first live performance in Australia for a decade, singer-songwriter Darren Hayes returns home to head up a superstar line-up for the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday 5 March 2022. Fresh off the back of the release of his new track ‘Let’s Try Being In Love’, Hayes’ Mardi Gras performance will mark his 20th year as a solo recording artist, as well the 25th anniversary of Savage Garden’s acclaimed debut, self-titled album.The Parade will also feature a special performance from Australian music legend Vanessa Amorosi, presented by Principal Partner, American Express.

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.

Actor, model and socialite Christian Wilkins has slammed media coverage of his dress at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day event on Sunday.Trigger Warning: This story has details of homophobic media coverage and homophobic slurs, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.Christian, son of veteran Channel Nine reporter Richard Wilkins, was dressed in a fabulous, pink halter neck mini dress for a Fair Day event at Victoria Park, Sydney. Christian Wilkins (left) calls out the Daily Telegraph’s homophobic headline (right).The experience was however marred, when on Monday Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential section featured Christian’s photos with a homophobic headline.“Dude looks like a lady! Richard Wilkins’ flamboyant son Christian flaunts his VERY toned figure in a skin-tight pink mini dress with daring cut-outs”, the headline screamed. Christian, who came out as gay in public in March 2018 on the front cover of a magazine, did not mince his words when calling out the publication over its homophobic coverage.   A post shared by CHRISTIAN WILKINS (@theprincewilkins)In 2021, Christian had made his acting debut in the Stan Original series Eden, in an LGBTQI role, playing a twin named Leander. Christian has previously been a fashion correspondent for E News and starred in shows Dancing With The Stars and Filthy Rich and Homeless. In his coming out interview, Christian had said that he had “taken it upon myself to become the best damn gay I can be!”  A post shared by CHRISTIAN WILKINS (@theprincewilkins)Christian had in an interview said that he had never come

By Kyle Olsen and Troy MurphyThis Saturday, the members of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will vote on a number of motions relating to the behaviour of activist group Pride In Protest. You can view Motions 1-5 here. We have designed these to hold Pride In Protest accountable for the damage their behaviour has caused Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, its staff, board, volunteers and Parade participants.For the past week, the Star Observer has published articles in relation to these motions.

15 resolutions proposed for the imminent Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Annual General Meeting (AGM) must be very concerned at the sharpness of internal conflicts in our movement and the calls from both “sides” to suppress debate, exclude many LGBTQI+ groups from the Parade and to expel individuals from SGLMG itself.We 78ers call on all members of SGLMG to embrace the importance of inclusiveness, open discussion and democracy in SGLMG. That the situation has reached this nadir only underlines the need for the SGLMG Board to focus on mediation, conciliation and conflict resolution and to stop right now the “let’s destroy them completely” option now afoot.This is the best way for members to call a halt to this unconstructive conflict and to tell the two “sides” to change direction.

public health order issued by the New South Wales government.It comes on a day when New South Wales recorded over 30,000 cases of COVID-19.According to the health order, “Singing and dancing is not permitted at a hospitality venue, entertainment facility, nightclub, major recreation facility or music festival.”Exceptions to this rule only apply to performers who are “performing” or “rehearsing,” a person who is “instructing” or “being instructed, in singing or dancing,” and a “wedding service” or a “gathering immediately following a wedding.”One of the four main ways to obtain an exemption would be to “ensure there is no dancefloor at the event” or that “any existing dancefloor is not used.”Yesterday, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) sent out the announcement stating that it was cancelling Party for the 2022 LGBTQI celebration.It wrote it was doing so with “very heavy hearts,” and Party is not “operable under the state’s Public Health Order.”It also acknowledged that the SGLMG team has “worked tirelessly with NSW Health, the State Government and venues at all stages of planning for our entire Festival.”It added, “This phase of the pandemic remains volatile, and the health and safety of our community will always remain our top priority.”Party would be a mainly indoor event with dancing.

By Jacqualine HardyWe are just about to face one of our greatest challenges. If the Religious Discrimination Bill is passed by Parliament, in whatever form, the least it will do is push the LGBTQI cause back 20 years.This is not the time for division and strife.

< 1 min read In a three year deal that is certain to push much-needed funds into the coffers of Mardi Gras organisers, multinational financial services corporation American Express has signed an exclusive deal with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to become the exclusive principal partner. The deal will also see them partner Sydney World Pride 2023.

the bid to host WorldPride 2023, it was an acknowledgement of Australia’s thriving LGBTQI+ communities. But it also comes as a lifeline to the heart of Sydney’s queer community—Oxford Street.World Pride Sydney is intent on reviving Sydney’s night-time economy and will support a “pipeline” of events in order to revive the arts and culture scene that has been decimated by lockouts and lockdowns, says World Pride Sydney CEO, Kate Wickett.WorldPride celebrations will coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Australia’s 50th Gay Pride Week.According to Wickett, around 1.2 million people are expected to attend the celebrations.

Kylie Minogue and Taika Waititi have been announced as some of the first guest stars to appear in the forthcoming premiere season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.The season, which is set to air on Stan from Saturday May 1, was filmed in New Zealand earlier this year.