FILED 2 MARCH 2008.
John Stapleton
YOUNG and the old, tall and short, tragic and raunchy, obvious and absurd, the streets of inner-city Sydney were full of drunken revellers yesterday, as thousands of people made their way home from what most agreed was a truly superb night out. The 30th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been and gone, this years ``Brave New Worlds'' theme playing itself out on the streets to the last disco beat.
Sunglasses shielded bloodshot eyes drunken staggers revealed the full extent of their waywardness as groups and singles stumbled from one bar to the next, reluctant to give up and call it a night, or day. Furry bears, slim twinks, Muscle Marys and seven foot tall drag queens, they all appeared oblivious to the fact that the sun had come up and they were no longer inside a nightclub.
Despite dozens of arrests over a range of small offences, police declared the event a resounding success, praising the organisers for their ``excellent planning'' and spruiking the fact that 50 of their own, including gay and lesbian liaison officers, received a warm reception.
How times have changed.
The success of the 30th anniversary celebrations, which involved ten thousand participants and hundreds of thousands of onlookers, was in stark contrast to 1978, when a gay pride march quickly turned ugly, culminating in a violent confrontation with police, dozens of arrests and allegations of police brutality.This year 186 of the original protestors joined the parade. They marched alongside dozens of police, including gay and lesbian liaison officers. Australian Defence Force personnel and members of Surf Life Saving Australia also marched this year.
Police said the major problems encountered this year involved drunken teenagers, with more than 25 people arrested, mostly around the Hyde Park area for alcohol related offences. Offences included assault, assaulting police, robbery, throwing a missile and offensive behaviour. A licensing operation carried out on Oxford Street also resulted in 22 infringement notices being issued for selling liquor to minors.
Continuing to party at the Oxford Hotel at Taylor's Square yesterday, gay couple Jason Carnachan and Nicolaas Manne, who met at last year's Mardi Gras and were celebrating their first anniversary, declared the night ``fantastic''. ``I decided to go high camp tribal this year,'' said Carnachon. ``This is a celebration of our freedom, we are allowed to be who we are.''
His partner Manne added: ``It's great that we live in a city like this where homosexuality is acceptable to almost everyone. I have lived long enough to see everything change completely. The acceptance is quite high now.''
John Stapleton
YOUNG and the old, tall and short, tragic and raunchy, obvious and absurd, the streets of inner-city Sydney were full of drunken revellers yesterday, as thousands of people made their way home from what most agreed was a truly superb night out. The 30th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been and gone, this years ``Brave New Worlds'' theme playing itself out on the streets to the last disco beat.
Sunglasses shielded bloodshot eyes drunken staggers revealed the full extent of their waywardness as groups and singles stumbled from one bar to the next, reluctant to give up and call it a night, or day. Furry bears, slim twinks, Muscle Marys and seven foot tall drag queens, they all appeared oblivious to the fact that the sun had come up and they were no longer inside a nightclub.
Despite dozens of arrests over a range of small offences, police declared the event a resounding success, praising the organisers for their ``excellent planning'' and spruiking the fact that 50 of their own, including gay and lesbian liaison officers, received a warm reception.
How times have changed.
The success of the 30th anniversary celebrations, which involved ten thousand participants and hundreds of thousands of onlookers, was in stark contrast to 1978, when a gay pride march quickly turned ugly, culminating in a violent confrontation with police, dozens of arrests and allegations of police brutality.This year 186 of the original protestors joined the parade. They marched alongside dozens of police, including gay and lesbian liaison officers. Australian Defence Force personnel and members of Surf Life Saving Australia also marched this year.
Police said the major problems encountered this year involved drunken teenagers, with more than 25 people arrested, mostly around the Hyde Park area for alcohol related offences. Offences included assault, assaulting police, robbery, throwing a missile and offensive behaviour. A licensing operation carried out on Oxford Street also resulted in 22 infringement notices being issued for selling liquor to minors.
Continuing to party at the Oxford Hotel at Taylor's Square yesterday, gay couple Jason Carnachan and Nicolaas Manne, who met at last year's Mardi Gras and were celebrating their first anniversary, declared the night ``fantastic''. ``I decided to go high camp tribal this year,'' said Carnachon. ``This is a celebration of our freedom, we are allowed to be who we are.''
His partner Manne added: ``It's great that we live in a city like this where homosexuality is acceptable to almost everyone. I have lived long enough to see everything change completely. The acceptance is quite high now.''
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