The night of pride 2013
“Watch out for the faggots in town, there will be lots of them there,” says a dad to his son, while Elin Fjelldal and I step off the plane in Sydney, the day before the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. A scary feeling swirls in my stomach after hearing the comment. Will there be riots and haters among the crowd? We have no idea what we are facing. It will be interesting to see how the parade turns out through the eyes of two straight Norwegians.
Saturday 2nd of March is the day of pride, love and change in the streets of Sydney. My friend Elin and I will be among and watch the parade with thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other supporters. Compared to Mardi Gras, Skeive Dager (‘queer days’ in Norway) is a smaller celebration in Oslo with only a few hundred participants. The main focus this year being “you” and your individual rights. Gay marriage was legalised in Norway in 2009. Australia ranked higher than Norway in the title of “where to be born in 2013” but is yet to legalise gay marriage. As a result of this the Australian parade will cover a broad range of important and political messages.
Six hours before the parade commences, Elin and I are amazed to see how many spectators had already lined up along Oxford Street, where the parade will begin. “We should probably buy a rainbow flag or a light stick so we don’t look too straight.” Says Elin while we are looking for a spot to watch the parade. Rainbow flags and pink Australian flags flutter from surrounding balconies. The rainbow is an international sign of gay rights. Even the crossing near the VIP area is painted in rainbow colours to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the parade.
“10 bucks for a box”, a rough voice calls out next to me while walking along the street. Plastic crates are sold everywhere so people have something to stand on while watching the parade. The crowd moves in and we are afraid of not being able to see the parade. Is ten bucks really worth spending on a box we will never use again? People are becoming desperate to get a good spot. They are pushing and stepping on each other, it portrays the same vibe as being at a rock-concert where you need to fight to keep your spot.
After several hours of waiting we hear a loud motorcycle sound roaring further down Oxford Street. Tens of women (Dykes on Bikes) rev up the street with their heavy motorcycles. After a loud bang from the fireworks, the parade officially starts. The military come marching after with their military uniform, right after come the police and firefighters. Most of the participants stop in front of the VIP area, a spot that could be secured early for $100. Gay and lesbian Aboriginals are proudly waving at the crowd holding their national flag in one hand and the rainbow flag in the other. One female participant runs towards me and it looks like she is about to kiss me, but at the last second kisses the girl next to me, who willingly kisses back. I don’t know if I'm relieved or shocked. This portrays mixed feelings inside me, what would it like to be gay?
Hundreds of participants are passing by with slogans like “Ending HIV”, “Freedom to Be Me”, “Living Our Lives”, “All Love is Equal”, and at last “Jesus is gay”, Men are dressed in nun costumes and pink high heels with big smiles on their faces waving to the audience who laugh with them. The most important message in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade is saved until last: the right to marry the one you love no matter what gender they are. The parade ends with a colourful firework and two floats shaped as a heart, one with a gay couple and one with a lesbian couple who pose as they celebrate their marriage. The parade is officially over for 2013.
Everyone walks in different directions, the crowd is intense and you need to push through people to walk around. Some streets away from the crowd we bump into a man dressed in a green suit dancing and singing to How will I know by Whitney Houston. His name is Simon Morgan. He asks us to join the party. His suit has a broad V-neck where he proudly shows his hairy chest. Simon says he was a part of the parade along with his friend Rick “Mardi Gras is important because we are still not treated equal as everybody else.” I ask him if he has ever been ashamed of being gay. “Ehm, not really, maybe in primary and beginning of secondary. I usually showered before the other guys in the gym, because they thought I looked at them. It was in Secondary, I think." This made me realize that it's not easy being gay at a young age. He isn’t sure where to go out later, but wishes us a happy Mardi Gras and continues dancing.
As we walk back to the rainbow crossing a few hours after the parade we see two women taking photos of each other on the crossing. I ask if they want me to take a photo of them. Stephanie kisses Amanda on the cheek when I take the picture for them. Amanda Petkoaska and Stephanie Andersen have been together for three years. This was their fifth time celebrating Mardi Gras. “ We were not a part of the parade, but we are going to one of the clubs here to enjoy the night.” Says Stephanie. I ask them if they have ever been ashamed of their sexuality. “It was uncomfortable in primary. I only told my closest friends that that I was a lesbian, I don’t know why I waited so long. I think it is more acceptable to be lesbian than gay, because straight girls don’t mind making out with other girls and straight guys like that.” Says Amanda. “I didn’t tell my mum until I were in year 10, my mum said she had a clue that I was lesbian because how masculine I am.” Says Stephanie. I ask them what they think of straight people who participate in the parade and if it is accepted.“ I think it is important for everyone to show their support either be part of the parade or in the audience.” said Stephanie. They both agree that the government should legalise gay marriage.
Elin and I walk back to Central Sydney, the bright and colourful costumes disappear, the screaming voices and the joyful vibe turn back to normal. It is as if it had never happened. This makes me wonder why such an amazing culture with interesting people have to be separated from the normal society to be fully accepted. It is like walking into a different world.
The parade was bigger and more peaceful than we expected and the message about legalising gay marriage was repeated. The rainbow crossing got removed from Oxford Street a month after the parade. The crossing was a symbol of gay rights and the Mardi Gras celebration. This indicates that the Australian government is not willing to put in effort towards legalising gay marriage, but rather spending $20 000 on the removal of an iconic sign for gay rights. A few days ago Australia’s neighbouring country, New Zealand became the 13th country in the world to allow gay marriage. Australian supporters of gay marriage hope Australia will be next.