Sydney is up there with San Francisco, as being one of the gay capitals of the world. I had no idea. I’ve been holed away up in the Northern Beaches with all the high and mighties. Perhaps this will provide the culture boost I’ve been craving.
I knew people at the hostel were heading out for the parade but I had already been invited by my friend Emma to witness it with her friends. I jumped at the chance to see her as it felt like it had been a while. I would have invited my roommates but they didn’t fancy it. It’s one of a few topics for which they have controversial opinions on. The conversation I had with them when I told them I was going is up there with the ones we’ve had on breast feeding, God (and religion in general) and travelling. We do have a lot of time on our hands so it’s not surprising that we have divisive debates about topics.
They’re not homophobic but feel that Mardi Gras stereotypes gays which they are against. I didn’t let it hold me back from what I wanted to do. I couldn’t wait to see a new side of Sydney.
I didn’t wear fancy dress or don crazy face paint. I just wore something casual and practical as the forecast was rain. I got the bus to the Town Hall (in the city) and met Emma and her boyfriend Matt outside Woolworths. The plan was to get some goodies and have a little picnic. We wanted to ensure we got a decent viewing spot.
As I stood and waited for Emma and Matt, I saw the occasional person walk by with loud outfits on, but I couldn’t tell if that was their sense of style or if it was for the Mardi Gras! Just like Australia Day, I saw photos of what to expect. It was like S&M meets Barbie. I was so excited! I’ve only seen the “cool” side of Australia, where everyone has to look great at all times and for that to look effortless. Again, I wanted to see some madness!
We loaded up on goodies and made our way to a bar to meet Emma and Matt’s friends. Although the streets were busy with people, we could still see spaces for us to sidle into and watch the parade. I’m glad we came in early as I’d hate to be stuck at the back and not being able to see anything. It’s just like at a concert where you pray the people in front aren’t basketball players or sporting a fro (I’ve had that already!).
As we walked down, many of the shops had special displays to represent their support for the Mardi Gras. Rainbow coloured mannequins, rainbow coloured clothing and accessories, rainbow coloured lighting – anything was used to draw attention to their display. A lot of places were selling tat to tourists but everyone was lapping it up. Miniature rainbow flags, rainbow teddies, angel wings, glow sticks…anything and everything, it was here, it was queer and ready to be sold!
I saved my pennies and walked past the lot. We met Emma and Matt’s friends and debated whether to watch the parade inside or out on the street. Thankfully Emma and a couple of others were adamant, come rain or shine, we’d be on the street watching the show rather than on a large screen in a crowded bar.
We had a little time to kill before we had to make a move so we stayed for a drink. It was funny playing spot-the-hetro. I looked around and there were leather-clad men to the left of me and random guys wearing lederhosen to the right of me. The latter was a popular choice with men this year. There weren’t too many women in this bar. I laughed as some of Emma’s mates flinched when they saw a couple of guys snogging. I’m not really used to seeing outward displays of affection in that sense either but it’s not something that fazes me.
I had a look round and it seemed that only Matt, Emma and I had bothered to buy goodies. I don’t think the message quite got around that we were going to have a picnic. Oh well, more for us then!
Time marched on and the moment came for us to take our place outside. We only walked a few footsteps across and found the perfect-ish place. There were a couple of people in front of us but it was only a family and we could still see a little bit over the top of them. There were rumours that this was the spot where Kylie would stop and possibly perform a song so, if anything, this was the best place to be.
The weather was slowly deteriorating but I was hoping it would clear up later…
It didn’t. The rain continued throughout the parade which was an arse. We waited what felt like a lifetime for the parade to start. Emma said it would start at 7pm but things didn’t kick off until 7:45pm. It wasn’t too bad as Emma’s friend found a place that sold crates for $5 each so at least we had a seat.
When the time was right, we stood on our crates and towered over everyone. A-ha! The guys in front also had a parasol-sized umbrella which sort of covered me. It also bashed me in the head on a few occasions but it was better than nothing. I had a waterproof on but, after a few hours of continuous rain, it wouldn’t hold out completely.
A few salsa dancers strutted by. Everyone around me kept banging on about the dykesvis jackets started creating an alternate route with new barriers. We thought we were right at the front and that the acts would be passing right by us but instead, they would pass by around 10 metres in front of us instead which was a bit pants.
The dykes on bikes eventually came and our sight wasn’t impaired too much by the distance. Everyone around me screamed and yelled at them. The atmosphere in the crowds was incredibly uplifting. Everyone was happy and singing along to the music as each float passed. It was pouring with rain but, as every bored cliched reporter would write, it didn't dampen our spirits.
Daring costumes are a must.
The parade was slow-moving to begin with. It was surprising how tiring it was, balancing on a crate and dodging the ends of an umbrella. The lull in the parade was supplemented by the random run-ins within the crowd. People from our group knew people that happened to walk by. Cue hugs, air kisses, the lot. Soon, Matt joined us and came bearing gifts.
These little guys were handed out at the bar we were in earlier.
Soon enough, the parade was in full swing and I loved it! The street came alive with colour and jumping music.
Even Google got in on the act.
I was gutted that I didn’t manage to take any closer photos of the floats and groups that passed by. It wasn’t just the parade that my eyes were drawn to. Behind us was a group of drunks who were messing around with a plastic knife. I saw one drag queen dressed in skin-tight PVC with the tiniest of waists. Accompanying her on a leash was a smaller guy with blonde spikey hair and PVC hot pants. Nothing else. Just the hot pants. There was another guy wearing an outfit just made out of large polystyrene balls. Many dared to wear Lady Gaga inspired heeless platform wedges. Mardi Gras was certainly a feast for the eyes!
Speaking of, I saw a lot more than I bargained for when I went back to the bar I was in earlier. Emma's friend - also called Danielle - and I needed the toilet so we went to use the ones in the bar. The queue for the ladies was quite long but there was no queue for the mens. One guy signalled us over and told us to use the mens - "It's Mardi Gras. We're all equal today." I was pretty desperate so ducked in the mens toilets. The place was empty. The place stank so I wasn't wanting to hang about. I didn't realise that after I went inside, a few guys came in to use the urinals. All I kept hearing was, "I'm too nervous. I can't go." When I came out, I was greeted by blushing cheeks...and two bare arses. Ha!
As the parade wore on, more and more people collected behind me and edged forward to find a better view. As it was raining, everyone had umbrellas up which obviously impinged certain people’s views. Someone was stood on part of my crate and I ended up crouched and huddled, fighting to see the parade.
By this point, I have to admit that I did grow a little bored. The rain didn’t affect the crowd but the participants in the parade looked a little subdued. Some danced whilst others just walked with an umbrella in one hand and a placard in another. I’m not sure if it’s like this every year, but this parade was very politically motivated. I thought it was a celebration but it looked like a fight to gain equal rights in Australia. Gay marriage is not recognised in Australia. Many groups held banners and placards with different slogans but the same message. It felt more like a protest march than a parade.
As if the guardians of fate had been listening in on my thoughts, we had to leave. Emma wasn’t feeling well at all. After throwing up on a guy’s shoe and collapsing, it was time to go. I’m not sure what made Emma feel so ill. Earlier we helped a girl who had collapsed and looked dehydrated. It must be a popular occurrence at the Mardi Gras!
We went to another bar in the city and sat down for a little bit. It was getting late and I knew I had an early start the next day. Emma and Matt got up to leave and I followed them. We got in a taxi which dropped me off near the bus stop which was handy.
I got back to the hostel in good time. I was expecting more from the parade but I still had a fantastic time. I actually saw a side of Australia I liked that day.
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