Brands' Support of Mardi Gras Remains Vital, Year-Round Advocacy "More Important Than Ever"

Sydney's Mardi Gras is a beloved tradition and space to celebrate the joy and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. In recent years, we've had the privilege of working on the parade at Amplify by collaborating with creative and passionate clients to bring their visions to life. We know that the brands that engage deeply with festivals like Mardi Gras can create meaningful impact on both the broader community and cultural landscape. 

Gareth> For me, being a gay man, born and raised in Sydney, Mardi Gras has held a special place in my social calendar since it first came to my attention in high school in the 80s. At that time, I wasn’t ‘out’ so I was fascinated and terrified all at once about what this parade meant. 

It was the early 90s as an 18-year-old that I first explored the offerings of the gay scene in Sydney and Melbourne, which at the time was very much its own scene, complete with its own levels of discrimination, not accepting women into men’s clubs and vice versa. Segregation by sexuality when it came to socialising and entertaining was rife. I tentatively came out at work for the first time in 1993, when working for a large multi-national financial services company. This was mostly due to finding solace in my own group of work friends also ‘coming out’, which gave security in strength in numbers. I don’t think there was a ‘pride’ group at my place of employment, so we had to make up our own support network.

As a reminder of the time, coming out as gay in the early 90s was still a point of contention, and was on the tail end of the AIDS epidemic so perceptions were warped. At a time when the gay and queer community was still operating on the fringes, Mardi Gras was a beacon of gay pride. It felt incongruous with reality, that we could march and be so proud in all our half naked and glittered glory to reveal the ‘real’ version of you for this one night every year down the main streets of Sydney.

Much like the Sydney Harbour Bridge towering over a much flatter Sydney cityscape when it opened in the 1930s, the city grew up in scale to meet the bridge over the decades.  Similarly, the Mardi Gras parade has been that giant since its inception, and societal attitudes have grown to meet it where it has boldly marched, year on year down Oxford Street. 

Dom> Every year, before I pop on my sparkly pants, I try to remind myself of the first Mardi Gras in 1978. To remind me that first and foremost this month is about advocacy and remembering where the parade came from - protest. Mardi Gras is a time where I like to reflect on the countless people who came and fought before me, so I could march the streets in these sparkly pants. 

In recent years, it is apparent to me that behind the parties and the beautiful community that we see on the parade floats are real people still facing a real struggle. Although acceptance is arguably at its highest, there is still so much legislation aiming to strip rights away from our community (such as the recent move in QLD to ban trans children from hormone replacement therapy). 

Beyond legislation, the culture around the festival also has a way to go. During one of my first Mardi Gras seasons in 2023, I remember going into the parade ready for a celebration without judgement, but walking the streets moving away from the parade, they were filled with people who didn’t really understand what the festival was about, making spaces feel uncomfortable for me and my community. Brands (and the wider community) must remember that we are acutely aware of who is in our spaces and how genuine they are. What really cuts through during this season are moments of true advocacy and authenticity.  

Gareth> I love seeing brands that are true allies come out in support of the LGBTQ+ at Mardi Gras every year. It shows their customers and employees that they are dedicated to inclusivity and celebrate what Mardi Gras stands for. However, it’s also important that brands should only play in Mardi Gras if their presence is the tip of the iceberg, and 90% of their work in supporting the community takes place behind closed doors, when it matters most - every day.

Dom> It’s more important than ever for brands to show up year round. Particularly as Gen Z queer people who have grown up with countless ‘rainbow-washed’ marketing campaigns, we know a genuine campaign when we see one. Putting a rainbow flag on your logo is not only considered not enough, but almost offensive. To effectively partner with Mardi Gras (and by extension the queer community), it’s important to show up in queer spaces year round. Ensuring your contribution to the community is always additive - never exploitative. 

Gareth> WorldPride really set the stage for the next decade of Mardi Gras, which was clear in 2024’s execution. Particularly after a few years of uncertainty for the festival following Covid, it was great to see the investment from brands and the government that allowed for improved infrastructure and a heightened overall experience. In saying this, as we move into 2025 we know that some parties within the festival are being cancelled due to financial reasons, so it’s more important than ever for brand partners, government and community investment to keep the festival going and growing. 

Dom> As the festival continues to grow into the future, there we will be an emphasis on authenticity. The queer community is used to public attitudes swaying and what will remain most important for brands is to continue to be consistent and authentic. We will remember, and have remembered, those who have shown up, are showing up, and plan to keep on showing up. 

Gareth> Brands (that are appropriately vetted, ensuring their commitment to the community is authentic, deep, and always-on) should continue to be a welcome inclusion in Mardi Gras. Equally, the community needs to be actively reflected in their marketing efforts, product design, and inclusivity efforts.  

A brand’s commitment to the community doesn’t always need to be visible in the parade, and could be better balanced by apportioning corporate funds to support community events and groups to participate where they may not have been able to before.

And how they show respect and stand in alliance with the community for the sake of the community, not publicity and profit.