SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Last weekend, organizers announced that the 33-year-old Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will be renamed dropping the “Gay and Lesbian” part. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the event also has a new logo and a new message of inclusiveness that organizers admit could alienate traditional supporters.
The organizers insist that the heart of the annual festival remains gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people, but now the Mardi Gras is inviting any and all comers who wanted to celebrate diversity and ”the right to be.” They hope that reaching out will rejuvenate the event, which has failed to attract younger people and has lost relevance in its core community. They also acknowledge that long-standing supporters might feel the new approach would water down the event’s celebration of sexual difference but said the Mardi Gras had to evolve with its community.