sydney
Vale Mardi Gras 78er Sandi Banks
Mardi Gras 78er and veteran LGBTIQ activist Sandi Banks passed away this week after battling cancer. Sandi was one of the 53 people arrested by police on the night of the first Mardi Gras parade on June 24, 1978. The event was violently broken up by police, and those arrested were beaten by police and …
Gay venues around Australia react to COVID-19 crowd bans
LGBTIQ nightclubs and bars across Australia have reacted to the federal government’s new coronavirus crowd bans, with some closing their doors indefinitely. On Wednesday (March 18), the federal government banned non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people as Australia responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brisbane, The Sportsman Hotel said as of Wednesday they …
Scott Johnson: Police make progress in gay-hate death investigation
New South Wales homicide detectives investigating the 1988 suspected gay-hate killing of Scott Johnson have reportedly narrowed in on “a particular individual”. Scott Johnson’s body was found at the base of a cliff in Sydney on December 10, 1988. The Sydney-based American national was just 27 when he died. A coronial inquest initially concluded Johnson …
Open letter to Mardi Gras Board questions governance
An open letter to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Board queries decisions pertaining to both Sydney World Pride 2023 and the recent Mardi Gras festival. The letter from ‘Concerned MG members’ questions what it describes as “declining standards of governance by the Board.” The letter firstly questions the structure in place for Sydney …
Gay sauna taking temperatures on entry as coronavirus precaution
A gay sauna in Sydney has started taking the temperatures of all patrons on entry as a precaution against the risk of coronavirus infection. In a Facebook post last weekend, venue 357 Sydney City Steam quipped it’s the “first sauna in Australia to not allow you entry if you’re too hot.” “At 357 we want …
Reward doubled to $2 million in gay hate murder
The brother of gay man Scott Johnson, who died in Sydney 32 years ago, have matched a police reward for information in his alleged murder, with the total doubling to $2 million. Scott Johnson’s body was found at the base of a cliff at Blue Fish Point, near Manly’s North Head on December 10 1988. …
WATCH: Australia gets a teen lesbian rom-com of our very own
Home-grown lesbian romantic comedy Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) will make its Brisbane debut next week. The film was written and directed by queer filmmaker Monica Zanetti, from her own stage play. Last month it became the first Australian film ever to open the Mardi Gras Film Festival, and it’s heading to the …
Man arrested over murder of Kimberley McRae
A 20-year-old Colombian man arrested on a Caribbean island is facing extradition to Australia for the alleged murder of Sydney woman Kimberley McRae. McRae, who was transgender, was found dead in her Coogee unit in January. A real estate agent discovered her body several days after the 69-year-old was last seen. Last week, local police …
‘Why we march’: ABC’s Nate Byrne slams homophobic Mardi Gras abuse
ABC weather presenter Nate Byrne has hit out at “sick” homophobic abuse he received after marching in Mardi Gras. The ABC News Breakfast weatherman and meteorologist was part of the ABC’s first Mardi Gras float in the parade on Saturday night. But taking to social media on Sunday, the presenter shared a screenshot of a …
Mardi Gras apologises for overcrowded afterparty
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been slammed by thousands of angry punters locked out of the official afterparty on Saturday night. Mardi Gras organisers issued an apology after thousands queued for hours and many missed the headliners when the venue reached full capacity. Major overseas acts Sam Smith, Dua Lipa and Kesha headlined …