Because life, Mardi Gras this year will be different. In response to the pandemic and to ensure they’re providing safe spaces for the community to come together, this year’s Mardi Gras festival will look different than it has in the past.
Here are four new events to look forward to:
LAUGH OUT PROUD
Friday 26 February, 2021
Enmore Theatre
After a sold out inaugural event in February 2020, Mardi Gras’ comedy gala is back for a night of belly laughs with Australia’s best and brightest LGBTQI+ comedians. Featuring a stellar line-up of hilarious queer stand-up talent, Laugh Out Proud is Mardi Gras’ comedy event of the year! Hosted by the award-winning Nath Valvo, Laugh Out Proud has loads of comedic talent for one incredible night only – including: Geraldine Hickey, Mel Buttle, Thomas Jaspers, Rosie Piper, Margot Tanjutco, Selina Jenkins, Jake Howie and Jay Wymarra.
MY TRANS STORY
Friday 26 February, 2021
NSW Teachers Federation Auditorium
At a time when the trans experience is becoming more visible we still rarely see stories by trans and gender diverse people on a screen, in theatres, a bookshelf or in popular culture and when we do, they focus on coming out and surgery or discrimination and hate crimes. From the personal to the political My Trans Story features proud trans and gender diverse storytellers from Sydney and beyond, including Tea Uglow, Andrew Guy plus more to be announced, celebrating their complex, sometimes funny, often fearless, always fierce histories.
MY DRAG STORY
Saturday 27 February 2021
NSW Teachers Federation Auditorium
With Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stamped on our national identity and Drag Race sashaying across screens there’s no doubt Drag has sunk its six-inch heels into the mainstream. From the high-glam era of Les Girls and Capriccios to the diverse fabulousness many decades later – our nation’s alumni of drag artists have proudly carved a cheeky and quintessentially Aussie path through our cultural playbook. My Drag Story uncorsets seven queens, kings and gender defying royals to reveal what’s beyond the painted façade, including Amelia Airhead, Cindy Pastel, Nana Miss Koori, Sexy Galexy – full lineup to come.
QUEER THINKING
Saturday 27 February 2021
NSW Teachers Federation Auditorium
Queer Thinking is Mardi Gras’ program of talks where audiences are invited to unpack a range of issues faced by the LGBTQI community both in Australia and abroad in thought-provoking conversations about the world we live in.