Last Saturday was Sydney's 34th Gay and Lesbian mardi Gras parade, and my 17th - although I hasten to add I'm usually a spectator, or a helper-outer, and only rarely have I been in the actual thing.
This year, I was part of a group called Dr Mark's marching Academy. Our schtick was a tribute to the TV show Glee, complete with pompoms. Dr Mark prides himself on having a totse fierce* parade entry each year; with great lights and the best sound system. And so, in the waiting-around hours before this year's event, Dr Mark cranked up his superior speakers to the delight of all.
The result? Instant disco. And dancing in the street.
The boogie continued for more than an hour, and a brief downpour did nothing to dampen enthusiasm of the particpants. As the rain came down, our cheers went up. Bring it on, we seemed to be saying. Nothings going to stop us.
Actually, that's not quite true. For a few parade participants, drunkeness and drug use threatened to stop their parade before they even left Hyde Park. This was more than a shame; it was a disgrace.
But those idiots were very few in number. I hope the rest of us put on a suitably fabulous show, and reminded our spectators - straight, gay and everything in-between - that being gay is OK, joy is infectious and Sydney really is the greatest city on the planet.
* Young-person-speak for "very good".
(Source: Opinion - Wentworth Courier; Our Say by David Mills, Editor Wentworth Courier, March 2011)
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