Sydney, Australia’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been ‘de-gayed’. From henceforth, it will be known as Sydney Mardi Gras, organizers announced late last week.
Writes the Sydney Morning Herald:
Insisting that the heart of the annual festival remained gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people, Mr Urmson said Mardi Gras was inviting any and all comers who wanted to celebrate diversity and ”the right to be”. This would include opening parade floats to new faces who ”share our values”.
At the launch yesterday, Mr Urmson acknowledged that long-standing supporters might feel the new approach would water down the event’s celebration of sexual difference but said Mardi Gras had to evolve with its community. ”I think that whilst we are first and foremost a GLBTQI community organisation, we also are very open to all of our friends that do not necessarily identify within that alphabet soup,” he said.
Organisers hope that reaching out will rejuvenate the event, which has failed to attract younger people and lost relevance in its core community.
This was a fail. Okay, you want to be more inclusive, and “gay and lesbian” doesn’t cut it. I agree with that… it isn’t even inclusive of our own community. But rather than just calling it Mardi Gras… why not Mardi Gras Pride? Everyone equates that word with our community, but it doesn’t actually exclude anyone in the process… still “gay’ sounding, but more welcoming and open. It works for every other city’s parade… why did no one on their board think of this. Duh!