Tag: the f gay

Sydney will go rainbow for World Pride 2023

Alyssa Edwards drag Mardi Gras 1

It’s official! Sydney is getting gayer. Organisations across Greater Sydney including the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, and the Scenic Skyway in Katoomba will be installing free, public artworks to celebrate the 17-day LGBTQIA+ festival that is World Pride 2023 – complete with Kylie Minogue – to welcome to world to Sydney. What can you expect? Here’s a run-down… The installations include a 50-metre-long abstract floral rainbow wall made up of around 18,000 colourful plants at The Calyx inside the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney – one of the largest living green walls in the Southern Hemisphere. The floral rainbow wall forms part of the Garden’s new Love Your Nature horticultural exhibition, which fittingly celebrates the diverse world of plant-love with a kaleidoscope of colour, plants and passion. The City of Sydney will install its own floral installations, including planter boxes and a floral wall, which will be created using hundreds of plants and foliage in the colours of the rainbow flag. Randwick Council will also update its famous 27-metre-long rainbow walkway at Coogee Beach to add the colours of the Progress Flag, a version of the traditional rainbow flag that includes additional stripes to represent people of colour and the trans community. In the Blue Mountains, Katoomba’s famous Scenic Skyway will be transformed into a giant progress flag, a dramatic vision set against the World Heritage landscapes of the Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley. Meanwhile, the University of Sydney will showcase a night-time rainbow mural throughout the festival at its Footbridge Gallery at the University’s… Read More

Gay and Loathing in Bris Vegas: The series starts

Gay Loathing Bris Vegas 2

Australia’s own gay comedy series, Gay and Loathing in Bris Vegas is but days away from episode one, turning out the country’s first TV homage to the progress we’ve made, one one hand and the comedy behind being a gay man, on the other. Already a hit at festivals, the series recently opened the Brisbane Queer Film Festival and is in official selection at the Sicily Webfest and Web Series Festival Global in Los Angeles.  The show was even selected to compete in the the semi-finals of the International Online Web Festival. The self-funded series was shot in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and was made with almost 40 local cast and crew.  “It’s been the ‘Gone with the Wind’ of Australian web series”, say co-creator John Cahill. “But, if recent audience reaction to the three episodes that screened at the Brisbane Queer Film Festival is anything to go by, we’ve managed to create a great product that is funny and engaging. You can’t ask for more.  Except maybe for an Emmy!”  Set in Australia’s third largest city over a 2-day weekend, the series showcases the lives of 7 gay men as they traverse the cul-de-sacs of the sub-tropical suburbia (fondly referred to Barack Obama during the G20 Summit as Bris Vegas).  The series is intentionally farcical, with the city a key character. “We wanted to tell an intrinsically Brisbane story because the city often takes a backseat to Melbourne and Sydney”, says John.  While the title and the synopsis might suggest otherwise, the writers are quick… Read More

Keep Mardi Gras going: A new type of anal play with Aneros

Man abs

The glitter has settled – even though the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras didn’t endorse its use this year – guests have gone home and international visitors have boarded their planes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the party stops. And much like the Sydney Mardi Gras, which is one of the most socially accepting and creative events in the world on any calendar year that isn’t just for gay men and women, neither is what they practise outside of the public’s eye. Aneros knows this all too well. They’re one of the favourite producers and brand keepers of anal pleasure for men and women, to be honest, producing some of the finest tools on the market to get all kinds of jobs done. They’re the leaders in the world of men’s prostate massagers and have just launched a new one for their bands of customers, the Helix Syn Trident, which they say is the most advanced product of its kind on the market. It’s the second iteration of the first Helix Syn massager, which was all about ergonomics and health, as it provided relief from prostate complications and preventative measures for erectile dysfunction (ED). And you can also prevent prostate issues by including supplements such as Prostate SP and FlowForce Max in your diet. These supplements support overall prostate health and function. It was made with a lot of qualities, like a specially balanced body that provided a greater range of motion, increased responsiveness, and more focused internal stimulation. The latest version though, produces a… Read More

Mardi Gras drinks: Parade views from the Pullman Hyde Park

James Banham Pullman Rainbow Lounge

There’s nothing quite as gay as Mardi Gras, so if glitter, rainbows, hot bods, banging music and drinks are your thing, then heading to the Pullman Hyde Park in Sydney is where you need to be. From beside the marshalling area of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras down Oxford Street, the Pullman is serving drinks, food, rainbows and fabulosity like no other venue along the strip. The level 1 full length windows provide prime position to look down upon the parade’s rabble, in all their semi-nude, musically-fuelled, pro-LGBTIQ glory. Aptly named the Rainbow Room, it’s the place to be this 2 March 2019. Found at the top of College Street, just metres from Oxford Street’s official parade starting line, Pullman Hyde Park is serving up tickets for $149 per person that include exclusive entry to the bright and bold Rainbow Room, bottomless beverages from pop-up bars by event sponsors Gayle, Australia’s first equality conscious beer and cider. Top that off with Absolut – don’t miss their Absolut recovery brunch at the Beresford – canapés and fabulous entertainment from drag queen hosts Shebeast & Tora Hymen, with music by DJ Victoria Anthony. Following on after the fabulous pre-parade festivities, guests can make an exit, flashing their wrist bands to be given exclusive access to a College Street viewing area, allowing them to make their way through the glittering explosion that is the Mardi Gras Parade. Get your tickets at the Pullman’s website.

Battle of the drag queens: The Winery hosts a rumble for mental health

Sydney drag queen

Elizabeth, who? The real Queens of Sydney are about to turn up, do battle and do some good while they’re at it at Surry Hills’ The Winery, who’re putting on a gay royal rumble to donate dollars to the Black Dog Institute, for mental health. It’s all a part of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Queens Minnie Cooper and Hanna Conda will battle it out to Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury; Charisma Belle and Sia Tequila duelling Tina Turner, Cher and Dolly Parton on Wednesday and Sia Tequila and Jaquie St Hyde channelling Madonna and Kylie Minogue on Thursday, before the ultimate Battle of the Legends on Friday 1 March. It’s a full line-up that will donate 25% of ticket sales to Black Dog Institute, a research institute that works to reduce the incidence of mental illness and the stigma attached to it. Tickets for The Mardi Gras Tribute Nights are $20 with an Absolut cocktail on arrival and will run from Tuesday 26 February to Friday 1 March from 5pm. Tickets can be purchased from The Winery’s website.

Have brunch at the Beresford for Mardi Gras with Absolut

Absolut brunch toast

When the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras descends on Sydney, it means three things: more nudity, more drinking, less food, but better quality, at least. That’s why Absolut – who do those fabulous little gay bottles of vodka at this time of year – have again partnered with Sydney’s gay church Sunday session at the Beresford by Merivale, to put on a Mardi Gras brunch for the whole season. With brunch options for everyone (not just LGBTIQ people) on 17 and 24 February and 4 March, there’s enough of an excuse to get out and ‘be scene’, from 11-1 in February and 12-3 in March for the self titled “recovery brunch”. With standard brunch fare like eggs, bacon, hash roestis and such, it’s an all encompassing offering, but it’s the hero Absolut cocktails that really make it. Here’s the menu. Find the Beresford at 364 Bourke Street, Surry Hills.