What a buzzz!! I really love the build up to the march. When you are waiting to emerge onto Oxford st and you are greeted by cheers and applause! I must say Mags that we did miss you not being there with us but your support was with us all the same 8) It was more relaxed for me this year and I found myself waving more, running to the crowd (high 5’s) shouting out ‘Happy Mardi Gras!’ We had a few new marchers to the group and their involvment revs one up a bit! 😯

It was a bit of a whirlwind weekend for Linda and I as we got to Sydney late Friday and came home Sunday arvo. Pretty full on as we came crashing back to ‘mothering’ with the 4 kids. We need to try and have some down time if we can!

According to reports there were 350,000 spectators 😮 and the most marchers ever. So being apart of that with our small band was quite a thrill! We also love to spend time with people, in person, because we don’t feel so far away from all that F2b Sydney, gets up to. It’s hard to not be apart of all that is happening up there. BUT we are working on that!!! Melbourne F2b is up and running. 😀

Cheers Michelle

😆 😆 Heyyyyyyyy how awesomeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt the same as you Craig, I was pumped for a week or so, heaps of energy (minus the lawn mowing LOL) I watched some of the parade on tele with a grin on my face, it IS the best and veryyyyyyy addictive 😉 The memories last and last.

Great news about the F2B Melbourne Michelle, thats just fabulous!!!!!!! 😀 Really cool to hear you girls were interacting with the crowds like that, sooooooooo much funnnnnnnnn!!!!!!! 😆 There should be a Mardi Gras every 6mths dont you reckon? 😉 8)

a little from me. Still waiting for some photos on facebook so you can see us. It was a wonderful night. Great to have new people march……some decided at the last minute.

Great also to see those who marched with us last year and now to look back at where they have come to over the last 12 months.

I think you’ll find this entry from the 100 Revs Blogspot interesting.

Heather is a Baptist minister who marched.

Heather M said…

It was a privilege to march in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to convey our apology to the Gay Community in a concrete and symbolic way. We were included in the community section where there were several other Christian and religious groups as well as the armed forces and the police. Particularly noticeable was the contingent who were marching to drawing attention to the large number of laws which still discriminate against this one group of people even though we have other laws which legislate against discrimination! Amnesty International was there marching for Universal Civil Rights.

As we waited for the march to begin quite a number of people came up to us to thank us for what we were doing. Some friends made special opportunity to convey their heartfelt appreciation. Some went round our whole group shaking each person by the hand and saying ‘Thank you’. In some ways the hospitality of the Gay and Lesbian community was so gracious that we felt a rebuke as it is in the area of hospitality that we feel the church has been so remiss. Our attitude has been excluding. For me personally there was a sense that we were standing on Holy Ground as people connected with our act of contrition. It also felt during the march that we had the amazing privilege of making known the truth of God made known in Jesus who constantly took himself to the margins and to those who were left out and offered love and acceptance. As the march moved through the crowd we received a warm welcome and people acknowledged their awareness of what we stood for and their approval of what we were doing. The very air seemed to be charged with an atmosphere not only of elation but also of safety, respect and acceptance.

Heather McClelland(Rev)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote on the website that I was thinking of pulling out of the march. It wasn’t because I was afraid of marching or anything. I marched with Vic Presence a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was because I was marching with a religious(for lack of a better word) group. It brought up all the feelings I had been repressing for years. I told Michelle and Linda at the Melbourne meeting that I was thinking of pulling the plug because I was uncomfortable with the signs like “Jesus Loves Me” that I had seen in the photos of the previous year’s March. I had nothing against those signs. It was just that I didn’t think personally that was where I was at. I still have in the back of my mind the thought that I will go to hell for being a gay man, which I had implanted in my brain growing up in a cultish organisation. I think this is one of the reasons that I have abandoned Christianity. I would rather believe that there is no God than that I will go to hell for being true to myself.

At the beginning of the march I think with a bit of temerity Michelle offered me a sign that said, “Would Jesus discriminate?” Being caught up in the emotion of the march I accepted it. I then promptly burst into tears. 😳 After I had finished bawling my eyes out I relaxed and really enjoyed the rest of the parade. 8) I loved the reception we got from the crowd. It was so refreshing to be cheered, not booed for who I am. I enjoyed the time at the bar afterwards too. Most of the people seemed like really gracious people. A special thank you to Michelle and Linda, Paul and Chan, and Craig for making me feel so welcome. Also thankyou to Magsdee for the phone call just before the march started. I was too emotional to say much but I really appreciated it.

I must say too, that on the Thursday before the march somebody at work asked me what I was doing for the weekend. I didn’t think anyone would know that the Mardi Gras was on so I replied that I was going to Sydney for the weekend. The person replied, “Mardi Gras is on this weekend isn’t it?” I almost died a thousand deaths and quickly avoided the question. When I got back to work everybody was asking, “How was Mardi Gras?”. So I am officially out at work, like it or not. 😯

I really loved your post Mark. Very honest, especially about your Christian indoctrinations! I can relate to your feelings about ‘going to hell’ I really try to hold onto the idea that God loves me and that is above all the ‘opinions’ I have been told to believe throughout my life! 🙄

I hear about others experiences, in their relationship with God, since they ‘came out’ and they either still feel very connected and accepted by him or are coming to that place again and I hope I can have that one day, as I once did! Mardi Gras makes me feel part of such a huge,loving and accepting community and having such a large ‘religious'(for want of a better word!) contingent was great!

I mean, can we all be wrong about God’s love and understanding of how he made us? Can we ever get past the idea that we are going to hell for being same sex attracted or in love with that person?

It’s hard to believe that we are not going to hell but at the same time I also find it easy to think all will be fine. 😉

Cheers Michelle