Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras shares open letter to PM supporting a ceasefire in Gaza

Alongside the global LGBTQIA+ communities, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has written an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joining the call for an immediate and enduring ceasefire in Gaza. 

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ established Ethical Charter process means Sydney Mardi Gras will never knowingly accept funding or donations from organisations connected to war, genocide and violence.  We are committed to not accepting any funding from organisations which are complicit in the ongoing violence in Palestine.

Read the open letter below:

Dear Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,

I am writing as the CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in support of the global calls for an immediate and enduring ceasefire in Gaza.

Sydney Mardi Gras was born in 1978 by a brave group of activists that, at their core, were driven by the mission that every person should be treated equally and that we all have the right to live freely and safely. These same convictions still drive Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras today. We believe that all life is precious, and every person has the right to live without fear – regardless of sexuality, nationality, gender, belief or location.

Our Festival each year is not simply a moment of celebration, it’s a call for greater love and understanding and is designed to create safe space for everyone.

In this belief we join, alongside global LGBTQIA+ communities, in supporting the international call for an immediate ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the immediate release of all hostages in the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We urge that the Australian government intervene and call for the Israeli forces to make every effort to protect the lives of civilians.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras stands in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ people everywhere, and we are deeply concerned for the wellbeing of the Palestinian and Israeli LGBTQIA+ communities, and for their families and loved ones. We are also concerned at the divisions this conflict is causing here in Australia, with an increase in both Islamophobia and Antisemitism reported.

We support actions that promote peace, and the preservation of human life. We support the Australian Government’s call for an immediate and enduring ceasefire.

We strongly encourage the Government to use their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

LGBTQIA+ communities understand that the fight for equality can never rest. If we do not act for equality, safety and fairness we risk our society becoming more unsafe, here and in Palestine and Israel. 

Fundamentally, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras believes in our shared humanity, and our collective right to live free from persecution.

Yours sincerely,

Gil Beckwith (she/her)
CEO, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras