The float is about making sure that there's enough visibility about the number of Australians that really want to have good reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Making a statement at this time is really important. That's partly because of the political climate created around John Howard's government and people like Pauline Hanson. and decisions about Native Title and Wik that have culminated in people talking about race relations. It's important that the world out there knows that there are many non-Indigenous Australians who support Indigenous people. I want us to have as much voice as possible and Mardi Gras is a perfect opportunity to have that visual link to the millions of people who are watching.
I hope that people will realise that a lot of gay people do think politically. While I'm totally into gay people having a good time and making a statement about their sexual politics, there's a lot people who want to march as a political statement which says, We're gay and we also have a vision for Australia, of the kind of country that we want to live it.
I've been involved in Mardi Gras for five or six years - I just enjoy
it as a festival for gay people - and I've always been involved in race
politics in this country so for me it's the perfect combination. There's
a connection between gay struggle - in that we've had to struggle for basic
human rights - and there's the connection that Indigenous people are also
struggling for much more basic human
rights.