FEARLESSNESS
The theme of this year’s Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras is Fearless, and I think it’s a pretty good one.
It recalls the fearlessness of the original ’78ers, who risked everything to bring gay and lesbian oppression into the spotlight back in the 1970s. It speaks of the fearless warriors of the ’80s and ’90s who fought for HIV/AIDS action in this country. It reminds us of our all-too-recent struggle for marriage equality. And it looks to the future as we address the challenges faced by the trans community, of mental health issues, and recognition of LGBTIQ Indigenous people.
In the Mardi Gras Festival this year, I’m looking forward to fearless shade being thrown at The Sissy Ball!
We can afford to be fearless. We live in a country that, largely, accepts LGBT people and is happy to celebrate with us at events like Mardi Gras (and, might I add, Eurovision). But our brothers and sisters in Brazil are facing uncertain times. Their new President, Jair Bolsonaro, has declared himself a “proud homophobe”. Marielle Franco, an LGBT politician, has been assassinated. Brazil’s only openly gay congressman, Jean Wyllys, has fled the country after receiving death threats since the election. Brazilians now have much to fear. See our feature story from page 60.
Whether it’s Oscar Wilde (page 34), a gay comedian cracking jokes on stage (Rhys Nicholson, page 38) or a party host concocting seven outrageous outfits for an all-gay cruise (page 46), there’s a certain fearlessness in everything LGBTIQ. Celebrate that.