University community marches for an inclusive future at Mardi Gras

A sea of technicolour costumes brought some artistic flair to Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday night, with 80 students and staff members representing the University of Sydney in style. Inspired by the University's Mardi Gras theme 'the future is interwoven', our students and staff walked, danced and waved their progress flag fans in colourful costumes featuring the artwork Queer Sydney: A History by Jeremy William Smith , which is commissioned by and currently displayed in the Fisher Library. It wouldn't be Mardi Gras without music - this year our cohort performed to an original mix of songs featuring gender diverse Wiradjuri and Filipino Australian musician Mo'ju as well as classics from Kylie Minogue, Eurythmics and Ellie Goulding, to name a few. Ren Tuttiett, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student, revels in the vibrancy and unity that Mardi Gras creates in its celebration of queerness. "Participating in Mardi Gras gives me permission to show up in full confidence that my own and others' identities will be respected and cherished. The energy in the air felt from so many people being authentically themselves is unmatched." For Daniele Gianotti, Chair of the University Pride Network , the University theme 'the future is interwoven' is about promoting inclusivity and understanding. "'The future is interwoven' to me means to recognise and celebrate the intersectionality of our identities, to acknowledge that we embody multiple aspects of our self simultaneously.