Mardi Gras
About 10.45am on Friday, I received the following text message from a friend and former colleague. “Watching you on tv xxx move out from behind Nat where do I buy merch?” Shortly afterwards, she added, “Ps I’m in WA forgot time difference”. If you look closely at the video below, you’ll see me as a “backdrop” to a live cross on ABC News Breakfast.
I’m part of a staff group at the ABC called “ABC Pride”. Along with some other staff groups covering Indigenous people, people who are CALD (Culturally & Linguistically Diverse), and people with disability, ours is a group of people who belong to the LGBTQIA+ communities. We do a whole range of behind the scenes things, such as help with appropriate language guides, and provide input into staff welfare issues.
For the last two years we have also participated in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Last year, for our first parade, we had 80 people marching, and were joined by some high profile people such as the Managing Director, David Anderson and the ABC Chair, Ita Buttrose.
This year it was very different, as numbers were halved, and we moved to the Sydney Cricket Ground, due to COVID-19 restrctions.
Even thought it lacked a little of the “magic” and “historical significance” of walking along Oxford Street, we all still really enjoyed the experience of marching at the Sydney Cricket Ground. All of the people I’ve spoken to who were in the audience said they also enjoyed the experience, especially as they were able to sit down and watch the parade.
