Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras – Photos

Are you ready to let the sequins rain down love? Last weekend Sydney celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. This is our version of Pride, and has not a lick to do with any of those festivities held over in the American south. Similar name, but altogether different things. We celebrate Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras the first weekend of March, in honour of the original group of gay and lesbian protesters led a peaceful march down Oxford Street in 1978. At the time, they were beaten and arrested by police and out-ed and shamed by the press, with many suffering from lifelong physical and emotional trauma because of this torment. We owe every piece of Australian, gay history we have to their bravery. Each year we march in honour of them! Ultimately, they’re the reason I can dress up as a sequinned nutcracker and get humped by a rainbow unicorn. Bless them all!

Two of my best friends, Heath and Sebastian coordinated outfits with us.

Once we started pre-drinking, the faces started coming out!

I think Mr. Sparkles saw something he liked, or he was just showing off his silver legs!

I don’t even know what’s real or fake anymore.

Madonna called and wants her corsets back.

We picked these two up in Rio.

Can you have too many sequins?

This skywriter went on to let us know that “Jesus Saves.” I kept looking for Jesus in the crowd just in case I need some mouth-to-mouth, but the closest I could find was Mrs. Claus whose real name is Jesús. Maybe next year!

One of our silver angels came straight from the Victoria’s Secret runway!

Someone kept handing us bottles of water, that turned out to be bottles of vodka. Kids: try this at home.

George Michael in the house!

Our fearless leader, Teresa, giving us life!

She reminded us all to behave, and not to take any shit!

This is not a Sydney Swans rally.

Random passersby couldn’t get enough of all the tits on display!

And the photo bomb award goes to: Pixel Dick!

There’s a double chin in there somewhere.

Ass for days! How could you ever decide? But the one on the right, mmmkay!?

Can I get an “Amen?”

My friend Heath is the person that introduced me to Mr. Sparkles thirteen years ago!

Strike a pose!

“R U OK” if I rub my body up and down against yours? Shimmer me timbers — mmmpf!

Mr. Sparkles ran into a cousin that he hadn’t seen in twenty years! Nothing brings family together like sparkles!

Their group Baylin’s Gift, honouring the death of her son. We celebrate in life!

Mr. Sparkles and I getting ready for the parade about to start. The moment we’ve been waiting for!

“It’s Gay Xmas!” This was the name of our float as Mardi Gras is often a time that we share with our chosen family, and celebrate all the pomp and circumstance that makes us fabulous!

A few horny reindeer!

Mr. Sparkles had “A” for Adam and I had “S” for Sparkles, of course!

We hit up the dance party afterwards with 13,000 of our closest friends.

Oh, guess what! Cher decided to come too and perform a few numbers. If I Could Turn Back Time!

Then it was all over, glitter in the air, and time to start planning for next year!

So that’s my Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras experience for 2018. It was probably the best one yet, and I can’t wait to do it all again with even more sequins and more glitter! If you’re keen to see more photos from other floats (it’s not always about me), here’s a fabulous photo recap from DNA Magazine Australia. If you want to get involved in any part of the process, there’s always room for more! Send me a message and we can start shopping for glitter together!

All photographs by Molli Sparkles unless otherwise noted.