Sydney Mardi Gras 2014

My wife and I went to the Sydney Mardi Gras last night. It was a great show, a long parade that went on for about two hours.

Here are some of our favourite highlights.

1. Huge Trans- float.

The Trans-community were represented by a wonderful FantasTIQue float, with many different float pieces and many people walking along side.

Here's a photo of the lead FantasTIQue float,

plus a video which although mainly films a guy's head, conveys the sounds and feel of the parade well.

2. Large parade presence of military and police.

There was a strong parade presence of the military and the police. The military got one of the strongest cheers of the night. Perhaps reflecting as my wife suggested, that there are many places in the world where the military would not be able to march like this.

3. Strong anti-Putin message

Amnesty International provided several floats dedicated to sending a strong anti-Putin message. The floats, which were among my favourites, were wonderfully set to the tunes of "Moscow" and "Rasputin".

4. Furrys and Animal Welfare in together

One interesting aspect of the parade for me was that there were many animal protection agency floats, and some furry floats mixed in the middle with them!

5. Exterminate Homophobia!

There were several gaming or nerdy references in the parade. My personal favourite were the pink Daleks, who were surrounded by "Exterminate Homophobia" signs.

 

Overall, the Sydney Mardi Gras is a wonderful experience, which encapsulates the benefits and wonders of diversity. My wife and I have been each of the last three years, and each year I have come away feeling lifted by the wonders of the positive and open human spirit!