Our final Mardi Gras march – a photo essay

Dr Mark’s Marching Academy marches in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade to highlight issues facing its community. Over the past 19 years, 2,500 people have been part of the group’s float, while 6.1 million people have seen the float on the parade route. The group has been broadcast to more than 50 million viewers worldwide. This year was the float’s final appearance, with the group citing the parade’s growing commercialisation.

This year dance coach Bradford Jefferies and a team of organisers planned to put on the best show yet, to farewell one of the most recognised floats in the parade. Jefferies said: “Had I not witnessed community floats like ours, that began to transform how I saw myself and my sexuality, I would not be the person I am today. There are so many people this parade has an effect on and there are so many people that read stories and watch broadcasts of us from all over the world that see this as a bastion of hope. That we can celebrate who we are. That we are proud.” This year, the group’s theme was Ignite my Fire, encouraging the participants to be true to their own individual stories, and six of those stories stood out.



Source: theguardian

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