Five kilometres of Infinite Love – a celebration of all that brings us together.

Here’s your complete guide to who’ll march down Oxford Street on Saturday March 3 from 7:30pm. Get there early to grab yourself a good spot!

Print out this guide or bookmark this page on your smartphone so you can read along with what’s happening in the spectacular parade as you watch. Every float and every group is listed below, in the order they’ll appear on the night.

Here’s the official map of the parade route, with a message from Sydney Mardi Gras introducing its Infinite Love-themed 2012 Parade, before we get into the listings themselves.

See the map larger here.

Sydney Mardi Gras is a celebration of all that brings us together, that which unites us across our diversity. A celebration of the love and lives of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex communities. It recognises that when we stand in who we are, when we are bold about what we believe, and when we are true to ourselves, we are united as one. Our quest to just be, to be allowed to just be, and acknowledged as just being who we are is what makes us the same. Sydney Mardi Gras has its origins in celebration. One that was met with brutality and bloodshed.

It was these first women and men, that dared to say it is okay to be me, it is okay to be you, it is okay to be – to celebrate themselves and each other. This was Gay Mardi Gras in 1978.

1982 saw the birth of Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, and as we bring focus and attention to our wider community, our celebration became the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1990. After years of debate, the New Mardi Gras organisation formally welcomed bisexuals.

The birth of New Mardi Gras also included transgender and queer communities in our organisations’ mission.

In 2011, the organisation’s constitution formally acknowledged our friends who identify as intersex, and the organisation now represents the LGBTQI community. Sydney Mardi Gras communities stand united in that we all have the fundamental right to love who we choose, and that no law, no higher power, no person down the street has the right to tell us otherwise.

The Mardi Gras Parade is an event like no other. It breaks mindsets, challenges presumptions and inspires – it wakes people up from a close-minded slumber, to see and experience the world as it truly is – one full of amazingly different people. It gives hope to others to be themselves. It makes people laugh, cry, applaud and understand.

We have the right to be. We have the right to identify as we want to be identified. We have the right to love who we want – no matter how they identify. We have the right to express, share and experience that love the way we want.

Love knows no boundaries. It is equal, fundamental, free flowing and infinite. Our Parade reflects this.

At its core, the Parade has always been about diversity – the celebration of the uniqueness, and the coming together of like minded people – those that society has labelled at best not normal, at worst deviants, scum and freaks for not loving in the way that church and state has ruled we should. Indeed, many have been labelled and vilified much worse.

We extend a welcome to our youth, with open hearts we welcome you. Know that you are amongst friends, no matter the road you have travelled, no matter what feelings of love you are having for another person.

It’s okay to be you. It’s okay to grow into something else and be the you that you will be tomorrow. Sydney Mardi Gras is a celebration of love, and of the wonderful diverse individuals and communities that share common dreams, and a vision of the future where we no longer need to demand to be acknowledged, but that we are acknowledged simply for who we are. And that no law, higher power or person down the street tells us otherwise.

Sydney Mardi Gras celebrates unity, through celebrating difference. It celebrates the infinite love that we have to share with the person we love. It transcends definitions of gender, orientation, identity, race and religion

The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade is unique. It is a loud voice for acknowledging difference, to be recognised as being the same. By celebrating the power and beauty of diversity, it always has, and will continue to inspire the world to love one another.

When we come together on March 3, 2012 we will, as we have always done, continue to inspire the world by shining a bright light on diversity. We will do more together, than is possible on our own.

LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES,
NO LABELS.
LOVE THE ONE YOU LOVE.

by Vicktor Petroff, Parade Producer

And now here’s a complete list of the various groups, floats and celebrations of Infinite Love heading down Oxford Street on the night…