Australia: The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attended Sydney’s 45th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, becoming the first sitting prime minister to join the parade, which celebrates and continues to push for equality for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The parade, under the theme “Gather, dream, amplify,”  began with hundreds of thousands of people watching the 12,500 participants dance their way up Oxford Street.

The parade started with the Dykes on Bikes and was followed by the 78ers, activists who were part of a protest in 1978 that started the tradition of the Mardi Gras parade.  This was followed by a First Nations float featuring a 20-metre rainbow serpent.

The Mardi Gras parade returned to Oxford Street for the first time in three years after being relocated to Sydney Cricket Ground in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr. Albanese marched alongside senior Labor leaders, including the New South Wales opposition leader, Mr. Chris Minns, and the federal MP for Sydney, Ms. Tanya Plibersek, to huge cheers and claps from the crowd.

“People want to see that their government is inclusive and represents everyone, no matter who they love, no matter what their identity, no matter where they live. We need to continue to argue for equality,” Mr. Albanese shared.

“This is a huge milestone for the LBTGQI+ community,” Mr. Micah Scott, the chief executive of Minus 18, a charity that supports queer youth, commented.

“It sends a message to the rest of the country that our community is valid and that our community matters to the government. It’s especially important for our young people watching on,” Mr. Scott added.

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