Irish float returns to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

For the first time in a decade, there will be an Irish float at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and Ireland’s most famous drag queen, Panti Bliss, will be on it.

Organiser Lorna Hennessy, whose day job is at Sydney's Irish Consulate, says the final preparations for Saturday's event have been going very well.

"This isn't the first Irish LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex) community float in Sydney, but it will be the first one in a decade, and that's very exciting," she told The Irish Times.

The Irish entry is causing quite a stir in Australia with Channel 10 television show The Project doing a live crossover to the final rehearsals.

“We got our wings today, Panti was there, DJ Dan Murphy was there, so everything is going really, spectacularly well. There’s a lot of really positive, great energy happening. Lots of new friendships have been forged over MDF sparkly shamrocks and harps and all sorts of different cut outs and glitter,” said Ms Hennessy.

Panti Bliss is aware that Australian cleric come politician Rev Fred Nile asks God every year to curse the parade with inclement weather.

“I’ve heard about the praying for rain. I think that’s brilliant,” she said. “I think they are utterly harmless, they add colour and there is something sort of sad but charming about the pointlessness of it.

“Standing at a parade with a ‘Down with this sort of thing’ sign, you get those in Dublin, you get them in New York and they’re always in funny outfits. There’s something really charming about your plan of attack being to pray for rain. He’s not planting a bomb, he’s praying for rain. I’m sort of looking forward to seeing him.”

Northern Irishman Paul Savage, who is co-chair of Mardi Gras, is delighted with the inclusion of an Irish float.

"I notice a big change in mood and acceptance in Ireland. Given that we have been speaking to the Irish Consulate, the fact that Panti Bliss is coming and also the fact that the whole marriage equality debate in Ireland has gone global, it's just fantastic for us to bring that to the fore," he said. "The swell of public sentiment drives a lot of social change in Ireland. That makes me proud."

The theme of this year’s Mardi Gras is ‘passion’.

“What our passion is, is equality,” said Ms Hennessy. “Our concept is we want equality across the board, for all LGBTQI issues. It’s not just about marriage equality; this is about human rights for people who happen to be gay. It’s (also) about civil rights and gender rights. As a woman I feel very strongly about that,” she said.