By: Peter MItchell

Peter MItchell — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:54:05 +0000

As a regional 78er, Qtopia’s Pride Festival 2026 looks amazing, a virtual smorgasbord of performances, comedy, history, exhibitions, among other events.
However, I disagree with the writing of history in ‘Qtopia’s Sydney Pride Fest is Back: It’s Bigger and Queerer Than Ever Before’.
To insist that the first mardi gras was a ‘riot’ is a misplaced description. More importantly, it is ahistorical nonsense, displacing the veracity of the actual events.
It was a celebration.
To describe it as a ‘riot’ reinforces the police view of our wonderful street party.
The police rioted in a nasty drunken melee, reinforcing the state’s homophobia.
I describe the first mardi gras as ‘a police riot also known as the First Mardi Gras.’ I feel this more apt as it acknowledges the roles of the state and its acolytes-the police.

Comments on: Qtopia Sydney’s Pride Fest Is Back: It’s Bigger & Queerer Than Ever Before

By: Peter MItchell