I'm intrigued by the comment that there was a question once about whether to include lesbians at Mardi Gras! Were there not lesbians at the first march? Who would seek to exclude Queer women from this celebration, and why?

Yes. Remember Mardi Gras' official name used to be 'Sydney Gay Mardi Gras'. It was quite a few years before 'and Lesbian' made it into the name. x

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Akersten

Yes. Remember Mardi Gras' official name used to be 'Sydney Gay Mardi Gras'. It was quite a few years before 'and Lesbian' made it into the name. x

For me then, this is an issue of semantics. I don't see a "gay Mardi Gras" as excluding women. The 'gay men MG' would, but are lesbians also not gay? To me, gay is synonymous with homosexual, so if anything, the gay Mardi Gras could be seen to exclude bisexual and transgender folk - again, only if one really feels that this is an obvious attempt to exclude. If the comment 'include lesbians' actually meant 'include lesbian in the title', I can see the argument, but as gay men often refer to themselves as gay men, lesbians can and do refer to themselves as gay, I cannot regard the word gay - in a homosexual context - as being the domain purely of Queer males. And I would be beyond angry if there be or were any attempt at making MG a men-only thing, but that shall never happen

That's my understanding too. Lesbians are indeed, gay, and always have been.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Akersten

Yes. Remember Mardi Gras' official name used to be 'Sydney Gay Mardi Gras'. It was quite a few years before 'and Lesbian' made it into the name. x

Is that a statement or a comment?