‘Spitting in the face of trans people’: Mardi Gras board slammed over defying members

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board members have defied their members’ resolutions at its annual general meeting, which call for a stronger focus on transgender rights in the parade, anti-discrimination law reform and funding.

In an email to members on Tuesday – signed by Mardi Gras co-chairs Kathy Pavlich, Mits Delisle and the board and seen by the Herald – the organisation said it would not implement those resolutions as they did not “align” with their “values, strategic priorities, and long-term sustainability”.

“After careful consideration, the board has resolved that it will not implement the operational elements of the relevant resolutions,” the email read. “This decision reflects the board’s obligations under Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission governance standards and the need to ensure all decisions align with Mardi Gras’ values, strategic priorities, and long-term sustainability.”

The email also said that following the AGM, held on November 29 last year, board members and staff had become targets of “personal and harmful commentary online, as well as a co-ordinated email campaign seeking to influence governance and decision-making. Some public claims have been factually incorrect, and their repetition has caused distress to our people”.

Charlie Murphy and Luc Velez, former board members who are part of Pride and Protest, a group pushing to reshape Mardi Gras, criticised the board’s decision to ignore members’ wishes.

“Mardi Gras is choosing to deliberately defy their membership and the motions they passed, when in the past they have partially followed through with them. This is a deliberate choice to abandon the trans community politically,” Murphy said.

The resolutions include recommendations that “the board encourage all parade participants to make support for transgender rights a key part of their float”, as well as members condemning the Trump administration, and requesting the board write to the federal and state governments calling for anti-discrimination law reform, informing parliamentarians they will not be welcomed at the parade and Fair Day if they do not commit to this reform in a timely manner.

A resolution for Mardi Gras to “pursue a funding model under which Mardi Gras would become 100 per cent publicly funded, transitioning entirely away from corporate sponsorship and partnerships” was also not implemented.

Evan Gray, who moved the transgender rights and anti-discrimination law reform resolutions and is a spokesperson for Pride in Protest, said the board’s position was “spitting in the face of trans people” and membership by “picking this horrendous fight in the lead-up to the season”.

“The Mardi Gras board are attacking the trans community by framing us as ‘intimidating’, that our rights are an ‘imposition’, and pretending that trans rights are against the nature of Mardi Gras, which has advocacy of LGBT rights in the bloody constitution,” Gray said.

Gray said if the board does not revisit the decision, the community would be “forced” to hold an extraordinary general meeting.

Delisle said suggestions Mardi Gras is “abandoning” transgender people are “incorrect and deeply misleading”.

“We support trans communities in tangible ways across our year-round work and Festival delivery, including funding support, platforming trans voices, community partnerships, and actively working to ensure our events are safe and inclusive,” he said.

“Mardi Gras’ support for trans and gender-diverse communities is longstanding, visible, and real.

“However, it is not acceptable to mischaracterise responsible governance as ‘transphobia’ simply because the Board will not adopt a particular campaign strategy.”

The Mardi Gras parade is on February 28.

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