Mardi Gras History: Part 3

From the mid-1990s on, Mardi Gras would experience significant changes, some beneficial, some that threatened its very existence. 

The televised broadcast of the Mardi Gras parade in 1994 did not necessarily signify a universal acceptance of the LGBTQI+ community. A vocal minority was loud enough in its displeasure that it coaxed large companies like Cadbury-Schweppes to withdraw its advertising with the TV network. In response, the LGBTQI+ community and its supporters boycotted the company, forcing it to reverse its decision. 

It didn’t take long for corporate organisations to start recognising the value of the “pink dollar”, and they saw Mardi Gras as a point of sale opportunity. During the 1990s, the level of conspicuous promotion during the festival rivalled that of any major sports event. Rainbow flags and red ribbons competed with company logos. 

This injection of cash boosted the size and scope of the Mardi Gras festival. It was most notable in the large, impressive corporate-sponsored floats in the Parade. 

Corporate involvement may have raised the profile of Mardi Gras, but it also moved it away from its core values. The community became disgruntled, with many people feeling that Mardi Gras was no longer accessible to them and didn’t represent them.

Despite all the mainstream exposure and lucrative corporate deals, Mardi Gras suffered a series of financial losses and in 2002 it went into receivership. This has been blamed on a number of things including loss of international tourism after the 9/11 terror attacks, apparent falling interest in the two big parties (Sleaze and post-parade), and increased costs. 

It truly looked like the end for Mardi Gras. But it wasn’t. 

Stevie Clayton CEO of ACON, Pip Newling, president of Queer Screen, Michael Woodhouse, along with ACON, the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and Pride all rallied to form a phoenix organisation - the New Mardi Gras. 

Now forced to count pennies, the New Mardi Gras regained a sense of modesty, returning to its authentic roots. It relied on donations, volunteers, and community input, soon finding its footing again. 

The organisation managed to boot-strap along for several years. Then in 2008, the NSW Government gave Mardi Gras a $400,00 injection - the first time it had provided any sort of funding. 

In 2012, Mardi Gras adopted a new logo. The former logo was a stylised depiction of the Sydney Opera House that included an upside down triangle. The new logo is comprised of two touching hearts made to resemble butterfly wings. 

This year saw the introduction of the Laneway Party, which was really a formalisation of a popular existing recovery party at the Beresford Hotel which frequently spilled into the adjacent lane. Laneway became one of the first of a growing list of core events in the Mardi Gras program. 

Meanwhile, the Parade was growing larger and more diverse. The brash, commercial floats stayed away and were replaced by community groups and creative individuals. In 2013, the Australian armed forces marched for the first time in what were arguably the neatest, most synchronised floats.  

To celebrate the 2019 Mardi Gras festival, the City of Sydney had a giant rainbow crossing painted across the corner of Bourke and Campbell Streets near Taylor Square. At the end of the festival, they blacked the rainbow out, causing a massive outcry. This ultimately led to the permanent rainbow crossing being painted back on. 

Read part 4 of History of Mardi Gras in our next issue of Pride of Sydney, or check our Part 2 HERE.