Mardi Gras members vote for inclusion

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has decisively rejected an attempt by radical activist group Pride in Protest to reshape the organisation’s leadership, in a vote its supporters say protects the place of Jewish participants in the parade.

The Extraordinary General Meeting, called by Pride in Protest and held last Saturday, drew the largest vote in Mardi Gras’ history. On every contested motion, members voted against Pride in Protest by margins of 70 to 73 per cent.

Two Pride in Protest directors, Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen, were removed from the board, while motions to remove co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich were defeated by a ratio of three to one. The two board vacancies will be filled by appointment through the nominations committee.

The result followed a sustained campaign by the group Protect Mardi Gras, which has consistently fought to safeguard the participation of Dayenu, the group for Sydney’s Jewish LGBTQ+ community and their allies. Supporters distributed their votes to proxy holders in what organisers described as a mobilised centrist majority.

The tensions date to the period after October 7, 2023, when Pride in Protest publicly described Dayenu as “pro-genocide” – rhetoric that Dayenu said had turned its pride into fear and prompted it to briefly reconsider marching.

Pride in Protest was ultimately banned from the 2026 parade after refusing to remove the posts and to confirm it had read the parade’s code of conduct. Mardi Gras’ leadership worked closely with Dayenu to ensure it rejoined the parade in February 2026, with the co-chairs and CEO attending a Dayenu Shabbat dinner at Emanuel Synagogue the night before the march.

Mardi Gras board director Savanna Peake said the meeting had affirmed the organisation’s founding values. “Mardi Gras is a celebration of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Everyone should feel welcome and safe, regardless of their sexuality, gender identity, cultural background, faith or the colour of their skin. That includes the Jewish community,” she said.

“Respectful debate makes our community stronger. But when disagreement turns into the exclusion or targeting of entire communities, in my view, that kind of exclusion does not reflect the spirit of Mardi Gras.

“I also believe that the outcome of the EGM clearly reflects that our members believe Mardi Gras should be a place where everyone is included, supported and welcomed. That’s how we honour the values on which Mardi Gras was founded.”

Pride in Protest is expected to mount a fresh challenge at Mardi Gras’ annual general meeting in December, where constitutional amendments requiring 75 per cent support will be proposed to strengthen protections for queer Jewish participants.