Thousands Attend Gay Mardi Gras

Thousands of people in lavish costumes and various states of undress danced and partied their way through Sydney’s streets on Saturday, in Australia’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

The parade — one of the world’s largest and most flamboyant gay pride events — had 9,400 participants and 135 floats and featured the theme, “History of the World” — a look at gay history.

Hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators watched the procession, led this year by famed transsexual model Amanda Lepore. Her sparse attire, festooned with precision-cut crystals, left little to the imagination as she perched on an open-top Mercedes.

One reveler dressed as Osama bin Laden led a group of dancing “Binlettes,” who sported pink sequins and improvised “mini-burkas,” which only covered the head. Osama’s right-hand man, who identified himself as “Greenie,” said the bearded leader was here to terrorize the intolerant.

“It’s about bringing back the gayness for Osama: Express the flesh!” Greenie said. “He’s been in a cave for a long time. Bill Clinton couldn’t do it, George Bush couldn’t do it, Barack Obama doesn’t want to do it … but he’s come out today for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras here in Sydney.”

More at: The DC!

Australian Senate Votes Against Gay Marriage

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Queensland Votes to Allow Gay Surrogacy

Queensland became the last Australian state to decriminalise altruistic surrogacy in a surprise move last Thursday evening.

In the states local government meeting a free ‘conscience’ vote was held, which saw  the Bligh Government’s surrogacy bill was passed,     this bill allows gay couples and single parents to have children through surrogacy in tropical north eastern state.   Local media reported that after hours of debate the law was passed 45 votes to 36. Seven MPs chose not to vote.   Some MPs said that they could not support a Bill that sets out to separate a child from its birth mother.   The issue of supporting same sex or single parenting was also considered by some of those MPs as ‘problemati’.

Surrogacy,  has been legal in all the other Australian states and territories,  as long as it is ‘Altruistic’   Commercial surrogacy remains illegal.      Australian gay groups and equal rights campaigners have welcomed the change in the law.

The news comes just days before the entire countries gay and lesbian population cenebrate one of the biggest gay pride events in the world, The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras!   This year the great gay festival kicks off this weekend with the main huge parade and massive party  behind held the weekend after, 27 Feb.

Sydney plays host to a whole load of celebrities, including gay novelist Paul Burston, Gay porn star Brent Corrigan,  John Waters and Whitney Houston during the festival that brings millions of visitors to the city.   This years event promises to be no different and is the biggest gay festival in the world!

Jason Shaw,  Brighton, England.

GayAgenda.com’s United Kingdom correspondent.

Jason’s own blog www.seafrontdiary.com his  mardi gras in minature! Come by and say hello!

Mitcham Dives Into Gay Games

Openly gay Australian diver and Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham will be among thousands of athletes and artists who will converge on Cologne, Germany, later this year for the eighth edition of the Gay Games, scheduled to commence on July 31 and run through Aug. 7.

The Games began in 1982 in San Francisco and have taken place every four years since then in cities across the globe, from New York to Amsterdam to Sydney. In 1990, Vancouver–currently hosting the Winter Olympics–was the site of the Gay Games.

Mitcham, who took the gold in Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics, will not be competing in the Games, but he will appear at various events, a Feb. 14 press release from the Federation of Gay Games announced. “I’m excited to be part of something so important for our communities around the globe,” Mitcham said. “This event brings lesbian and gay life out on the court, onto the track, and into the pool.

More at: Edge Boston!

Australia: Thousands Gather at Gay Marriage Rallies in Six Cities

Crowds have gathered in Australian cities calling for marriage equality after a bill to endorse gay unions was rejected by the Senate. A Senate inquiry into same-sex marriage on Friday dismissed the Greens’ marriage equality bill, while the ACT government this week struck a deal with the federal government to accept a civil union scheme.

Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Alex Greenwich said strong attendances by more than 2,000 people at rallies in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, ACT, Adelaide and Lismore on Saturday to launch a national year of action showed positive community support.

More at: Gay Marriage Watch!

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