From Shadows to Streets: The Birth of the Mardi Gras Movement

Written by: Lily Dorranian

On June 24th, 1978, everything changed. A small, newly-formed group of brave gay and lesbian activists known as the Gay Solidarity Group forever etched their name into LGBTQIA+ history in New South Wales.

The spark for this revolution ignited months earlier in March 1978, the Gay Freedom Day Committee in San Francisco sent a passionate letter to Australian activists, calling them to rise up in solidarity with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The anniversary march was also a protest against the Briggs Initiative. The Stonewall Riots was a foundation of global LGBTQIA+ resistance. 

The event that had been planned for that cold June night was not just a celebration, it was a defiance. It not only defied the heteronormative standards and societal values in Australia, but it also defied the criminalisation of homosexuality, the prejudice, the hate crimes, the endless discrimination. It was more than a street party on Oxford Street. It began in the heart of Sydney, aimed to open up a space where the city's queer community, long forced to hide in the dark corners of bars, could finally be free. A place where they could breathe. A place where they could exist without shame and soul-crushing oppression. Homosexuality wouldn’t be legalised in New South Wales until 1984.

The parade began in the late hours of the evening, but as the night grew, so did the movement. More and more individuals joined as the parade stretched into the city, people spilling out of bars and pubs, embracing the celebration. The streets of Sydney came alive with chants of “Out of the bars and into the streets!”. Flags were waved and capes were flown. Bodies moved with joy, the fashion was loud and unapologetic, with a truck leading the way, float and speaker attached. In recently unearthed footage, the parade and its unfortunate aftermath was documented, where Ken Davis was seen, one of the passionate organisers of this parade.

As the crowd reached Hyde Park, the police responded. They arrested the driver of the float truck and seized the vehicle. This caused the crowd to disperse and redirect to Kings Cross, and this is where the brutality began. Fifty-three arrests were made, and many of those arrested were beaten in police cells. The conflict did not end there. The following morning, the Sydney Morning Herald callously published the names of those arrested as well as their occupations, outing them publicly, ruining lives, and causing many to lose their jobs.

"As people were dispersing near the El Alamein fountain, police cordoned off both ends of the street and started quite violent arrests, targeting lesbians," Mr Davis said.

This sparked anger in supporters, and the outrage was palpable. Activists launched the ‘Drop the Charges’ campaign, a call to demand justice. Police initially retaliated with even more arrests. However, the media coverage of this injustice caused an upheaval, fueled by public outrage, in October 1978, the first charges were dropped. By the end of 1979, all charges were dropped, and the movement gained unstoppable momentum. 

The following year on the 20th of June, 1979, a second Mardi Gras was organised. The organisers expected their protest to be met by police violence once again due to the thousands of people in attendance, however no arrests were made. The third Mardi Gras, or the “Outrageous Gay Mardi Gras” in 1980 had an altered parade route, where it was to start in the CBD, make its way down Oxford street and finish at Paddington Town Hall. 

In the fourth year of Mardi Gras, it was decided that the date was to be moved to the Summer.

As of March 2025, it is the 46th year since the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi gras. Although it was not the first LGBTQIA+ rights protest, it became one of the most powerful, a pillar of Australian civil rights history. Then it was called ‘International Gay and Lesbian Solidarity Day”, but now it is a renowned celebration of pride, an enduring protest of injustice, a demand for liberation and change. It is a testament to the power of community and solidarity. Every act of love is an act of protest.

Below is a link to the full list of participants in the very first Mardi Gras held in 1978, as well as other necessary resources for liberation and freedom:

https://www.78ers.org.au/