THANK YOU to everyone who attended Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ Community Consultation Forum at the Eternity Theatre in Darlinghurst on Sunday 7 April.
Many people shared their personal stories about what the organisation means to them. We heard views on the shared history and significance of our name as well as how a name change could better reflect the inclusive and welcoming nature of our community.
The robust discussion was a reminder of how passionately everybody feels about Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, its legacy, relevance and future.
At the end of the forum, we asked attendees to complete feedback slips. We’re still compiling the responses, which will be included in an overall consultation report.
We can share that the main trend favoured having a more inclusive name. The challenge revolves around what a future name could be: 17 different options were put forward on this occasion. Most suggestions retained the words ‘Mardi Gras’.
Some key things to consider:
- This consultation is informed by the work of our Social Justice and Membership Committees. It is an investigation into whether the organisation should have a more inclusive name.
- The consultation process is a response to feedback we have received at events and through multiple communications channels from less represented members of the community as well as SGLMG members who feel the time is right to reopen the conversation.
- No decision has been made about changing the name. Our members will ultimately make any future decision about a name change.
We are listening
We recognise the importance of having a consultation process that allows sufficient time for considered input across our membership. Based on forum feedback, we will review our proposed timelines to allow for this. Please stay tuned for updates.
We want to hear from you
If you are interested in being part of other potential focus groups or forums, please let us know so that we can contact you directly to ensure your voice and story are heard.
Let us know your thoughts and ideas about finding a more inclusive name by contacting us at: membership@mardigrasarts.org.au.
Protecting our community online
This discussion is close to a lot of our communities’ hearts and we encourage conversation going forward. However, we need to ensure that views we put online, debates with people in comments and general interactions in the digital space are conducted in a respectful manner with an understanding of other people’s opinions and feelings.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us directly at membership@mardigrasarts.org.au. You can also check out our Social Media Guidelines here: www.mardigras.org.au/social-media-guidelines.
Thank you,
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Board