# Protect Mardi Gras > We’re working to keep Mardi Gras inclusive, celebratory, and powerful. ## Posts - [Statement regarding attacks against Mardi Gras](https://protectmardigras.org/statement-regarding-attacks-against-mardi-gras/): Through its unmatched celebration of diversity, inclusion and unity, Mardi Gras is one of the most powerful assets the queer community – including trans people – have in the fight against a global trend of genuine attacks against equal rights, belonging and safety.  Unfortunately, some are spending their time attacking Mardi Gras – instead of the myriad of significant threats we face as a community. It’s time to call out the destructive attacks against our community from within our community. We cannot win progress without being powerful. We cannot be powerful if we spend all our time fighting each other.  We […] - [We can disagree without destroying each other. That’s the future Mardi Gras needs.](https://protectmardigras.org/we-can-disagree-without-destroying-each-other-thats-the-future-mardi-gras-needs/): A community expected to behave like a single voice I am writing this from the 2025 National Settlement Conference, where LGBTQIA+ voices, especially trans voices, are being taken seriously in conversations that would not have occurred a decade ago. It is striking to watch the multicultural sector manage complexity with a steadiness our own queer institutions often struggle to match. The contrast is clear. Outside our bubble, difference is a reality to be worked with. Inside it, we continue to treat difference as a disruption. The demand for unity hides the real issue Whenever tensions rise, someone eventually asks why […] - [Protecting Mardi Gras Means Protecting Each Other](https://protectmardigras.org/protecting-mardi-gras-means-protecting-each-other/): In the early 1980s, when I wandered down to Oxford Street from a friend’s terrace in Darlinghurst to see Mardi Gras for the very first time, there were no barricades. No strict divisions between marchers and onlookers. If you felt the pull of the music and the joy, you simply slipped into the procession and joined. That intimacy and freedom reflected a community still finding its feet – a smaller scale, but no less powerful. Fast-forward to today and the world has changed. Mardi Gras has grown into a globally recognised festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people, and […] - [Your questions answered: campaign FAQ](https://protectmardigras.org/your-questions-answered-campaign-faq/): About the campaign What is Protect Mardi Gras? Protect Mardi Gras is a grassroots campaign by ordinary members of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. We believe Mardi Gras must remain inclusive, powerful, and unifying – a beacon for queer people here and around the world. We are organising to counter attempts to reshape Mardi Gras in ways that would make it smaller and exclude LGBTQIA+ police, politicians, sponsors, and others. Our aim is to protect what makes Mardi Gras effective: its visibility, its diversity, and its ability to bring together many voices in one parade. Who is behind […] - [Inclusion made us stronger - division makes us weaker](https://protectmardigras.org/inclusion-made-us-stronger-division-makes-us-weaker/): In 1978, my fellow 78er, friend and longtime activist, Peter Murphy, was bashed mercilessly in the old Darlinghurst Police Station – now Qtopia. He was denied medical attention for five long hours. Seeing him bloodied, broken and near death remains my saddest memory of that first Mardi Gras. I, along with many others, faced police batons, bigotry, and brutality simply for daring to be seen. That first Mardi Gras was dangerous but defiant – a protest and parade for freedom, a cry for dignity, a celebration of who we were. We were there not just for ourselves butfor the generations […] - [The myth about Mardi Gras](https://protectmardigras.org/the-myth-about-mardi-gras/): This article was originally published by the Star Observer. Over the last decade or so, we’ve increasingly seen a claim that Mardi Gras must return to its so-called “roots”. The assertion comes from the myth that it started as a protest, not a parade. This is a neat slogan, but it’s not true. It’s a false binary. Mardi Gras was born both protest and parade. And that’s why it worked. Organisers of the first Mardi Gras in 1978 ran a day of political action and then staged a night-time street party on Oxford Street to pull people out of the bars and into the movement. […] - [Statement of Principles and Commitments](https://protectmardigras.org/statement-of-principles-and-commitments/): We believe Mardi Gras should remain a beacon of joy, resistance, and community - welcoming, not dividing. Powerful enough to challenge injustice, and strong enough to drive change. - [Why we started Protect Mardi Gras: Many Voices, One Parade](https://protectmardigras.org/why-we-started-protect-mardi-gras/): TL;DR – Why we started Protect Mardi Gras We didn’t plan to start a campaign. But over time, it became clear that a group was using a political strategy known as entryism – seeking to change the nature of Mardi Gras from within by organising tickets and votes, pushing divisive motions, and electing aligned board members. The group wasn’t just debating ideas; they were trying to change what Mardi Gras is – by pushing to exclude police, military, sponsors and certain politicians.  Most of us first responded quietly by assigning proxy votes to people who would vote for inclusion. But when […] - [To protect Mardi Gras, you need to be part of it](https://protectmardigras.org/to-protect-mardi-gras-you-need-to-be-part-of-it/): Participating in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade is an affirming joy that should be enjoyed by all LGBTIQA+ people. - [78er explains why he’s launched a campaign to ‘Protect Mardi Gras’](https://protectmardigras.org/78er-explains-why-hes-launched-a-campaign-to-protect-mardi-gras/): This article was originally published by the Star Observer. In 1978, I was bashed in a police cell after taking part in the first Mardi Gras. I was denied medical treatment. I could have died. That night changed my life forever. The police brutality we faced back then was real and raw. It was driven by deep homophobia, hate and corrupt power. For many of us who survived it, those wounds are still close to the surface. So when people say Mardi Gras should be inclusive of police, I understand why some bristle. I was there. I lived the violence. […] ## Pages - [News](https://protectmardigras.org/news/) - [Home](https://protectmardigras.org/): Protect Mardi Gras Many Voices. One Parade. Sydney’s Mardi Gras is a global symbol of queer pride and unity. But right now, it’s under threat from a group pushing for division and exclusion. Sydney’s Mardi Gras is a global symbol of queer pride and unity. But right now, it’s under threat from a group pushing for division and exclusion. The threat A group of activists is using AGM votes to push an exclusionary agenda. They want to ban LGBTQIA+ police, politicians and sponsors. This risks turning Mardi Gras from a celebration of inclusion into a space of division. What’s at […] - [Privacy Policy](https://protectmardigras.org/privacy-policy/): Privacy Policy Protect Mardi Gras – Many Voices, One Parade (“we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. 1. What information we collect We collect the following personal information through our website: Some information shared in testimonials may be considered sensitive information under Australian law if it includes details about your sexuality, gender identity, or political opinions. 2. How we collect information We collect your information via: 3. Why we collect your information We collect your information to: We will not use your information […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)