GOD'S MY DADDY; The Sydney Gay & Lesbians Mardi Gras Parade 2009

The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is an annual gay pride parade and festival for the LGBT (initialism referring collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people) community in Sydney, Australia, and is the largest such event in the world.

The parade, whilst featuring many in the gay community with a penchant for exotic costumes and dance music, has always retained a political edge, with often witty visual commentary on their political opponents featuring in...
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The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is an annual gay pride parade and festival for the LGBT (initialism referring collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people) community in Sydney, Australia, and is the largest such event in the world.

The parade, whilst featuring many in the gay community with a penchant for exotic costumes and dance music, has always retained a political edge, with often witty visual commentary on their political opponents featuring in the floats. As homosexuality became more and more accepted in the wider community, more gay representatives of community groups and organisations have taken part in the parade, including the police force. Each parade starts with about 200 "Dykes on Bykes" riding up Oxford Street.

The parade and dance party attracts many international and domestic tourists, providing a significant economic boost to Sydney each year. The celebrations emerged during the early 1980s after arrests were made during pro-gay rights protests that began in 1978. Despite its name, it is not held on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) or indeed, on a Tuesday at all.
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