The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has long been a paradise for those who are naturally extroverted - championing a version of pride that emphasises the flashy, confident, exhibitionist, and unadulterated.
There’s a reason that it’s necessary, given the years of shame burdened unto LGBTIQ+ people - but for people like myself, those who are more introverted in nature, expressions of pride may reflect a more gradual, varied and even subdued road to acceptance.
Luckily, there are many ways that LGBTIQ+ people can explore a connection to traditional, and contemporary, queer cultures outside of the more well known and accepted Mardi Gras events - which is why we’ve collected a list of this year's events catering to those less familiar to party culture.
Opening tonight, Paul Mac and Lachlan Philpott are hosting an oral history of queer pop music icon George Michael and the importance of local art in connecting our own stories with a global narrative, as well as reading a choir-ready work in progress that explores George’s impact on the public consciousness. You can find out more information about The Rise and Fall of Saint George .
A celebration of Sydney's queer creatives, this week's is another event more suited to the quiet-at-heart, presenting a diverse lineup of art, music and performance. The event is co-presented with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Over the weekend, provided much needed addition to the conversations about queer complexity which often take place on the fringes. Panelists touched on topics like inclusive praxis for partying, the difficulty of finding real community and how class concerns are under-emphasised or ignored in the spaces we expect to be progressive.
For better or for worse, Grindr and Blendr do not advertise “bookworms” under available tribe options - although John Waters might hope otherwise. Maya Newell (director of Gayby Baby and general community warrior) launched her new book Wrestle in Newtown's Better Read Than Dead last week, a continuation of one story based on her documentary. The book tells the tale of one boy's “undying passion for wrestling” - and included a complementary reading by Benjamin Law, a real treat for all those with unfulfilled Ben crushes.
And when it comes to the parade itself, SBS's live stream will make all the bright lights perfectly accessible from the comfort of one's lounge room.
Because sometimes expressing pride comes in the form of a quiet night in.
Jonno Revanche is a writer/editor, cultural critic and multidisciplinary artist originally from Adelaide/Kaurna land. You can follow them on Twitter .
You can watch OnDemand's Thinking Queer collection , a collection of programs that explore all manner of social, political and cultural issues facing the LGBTIQ+ community.
A live stream of the parade will be available on SBS On Demand, the account and page on Saturday 2 March. SBS Arabic 24 will report live from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to Arabic-speaking audiences around Australia.
You can watch the SBS parade coverage on Sunday March 3 at 8.30pm.
