On this day 40 years ago a large group of people marched down the street in Sydney, propelling the LGBTI rights movement into the mainstream.
In 1978 the push to decriminalise homosexuality in New South Wales had hit a brick wall. To build momentum LGBTI rights activists decided to do something different, they declared a party to mark the anniversary of New York City’s Stonewall riots.
Mardi Gras was one of a series of events by the Gay Solidarity Group to promote an upcoming National Homosexual Conference, and offer support to San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day and it’s campaign against California State Senator John Brigg’s attempts to stop gay rights supporters teaching in schools.
It was also intended to protest the Australian visit of British anti-gay campaigner Mary Whitehouse.
There was a series of events throughout the day, including a march in the morning at Sydney’s Town Hall, public meetings and a second march down Oxford Street in the evening.
The group were lead by activist Lance Gowland, who drove a ute down Sydney’s Oxford Street inviting people to come out of the clubs and pubs and join their Mardi Gras. “Out of the bars and into the streets” they yelled as songs like Glad to be Gay by Tom Robinson played over the speakers.
Despite having a legal permit, the group was not allowed to congregate in the park and they instead made their way to Kings Cross. Police intercepted the group violently arresting 53 of the protesters. While most were released without charge, some protesters were badly beaten by the police.
The next day the Sydney Morning Herald published the names and addresses of all those who had been arrested. Which in turn lead to many people being outed to their friends, family and employers.
The violent response from police sparked a national debate about LGBT rights and marked a significant change in public attitudes to homosexuality.
Those who took part in the landmark protest are known as the ’78ers and every year they are featured in the Mardi Gras parade, which now takes place in the warmer part of the year. While there numbers fall as the year’s pass by, it’s always a highlight of the Mardi Gras parade to see them.
In 2016 the Sydney Morning Herald formally apologised for publishing the names of those who took part in the Mardi Gras march and previous protest actions. The NSW government also passed a motion in parliament apologising for their actions in 1978.
Earlier this year the ABC’s tele-movie Riot presented a dramatisation of the lives of many of those key advocates and showed the events leading up to the first Mardi Gras parade.
Today the Mardi Gras parade is held earlier in the year, where there is much better weather, and its grown to be one of the biggest cvelebrations of LGBTI people and culture in the world.
OIP Staff
