The Kaldor Centre and Colours of our Community collaborated on the winner of the ‘Spirit of 1978’ award.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade entry that UNSW developed with community partners this year has won the 'Spirit of 1978' award at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Community Awards. This award is a special honour that recognises the parade entry that best embodies the activism and historical significance of the original 1978 march. It is selected by a committee of elders and pioneers who participated on that June night almost 50 years ago.
The winning entry was a collaboration between UNSW’s Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law and Colours of Our Community, an LGBTQIA+ community creative organisation. The collaboration was the largest in the parade, with more than 120 participants including almost 60 LGBTQIA+ refugees from 26 countries – most of them participating in a Pride event for the first time.
The parade included clients from a number of LGBTQIA+ refugee support agencies, including the Refugee Advice & Casework Service, the Asylum Seekers Centre, STARTTS Walk On Walk Strong and the Forcibly Displaced People Network who marched together for the first time at Mardi Gras.
The entry was also runner-up in the best costume creative category, merging underground KIKI club culture with ancient Greek mythology to celebrate radical joy and justice.
The collaboration coincided with the launch of the Bridge to Safety initiative led by participating agencies. The initiative delivers dedicated support for priority processing of humanitarian visas for LGBTIQA+ people from Asia and the Pacific who are facing persecution.
UNSW’s Queer Community Quilt
UNSW students and staff also participated in another highly successful parade entry representing our LGBTQIA+ communities. Inspired by the HIV/AIDS memorial quilt projects going back to the 1980s, UNSW’s Queer Community Quilt was created by members of the UNSW community through a series of workshops and stitched together by UNSW alumnus, artist and fashion designer Jordan Gogos. The final work was a visual representation of the multifaceted connections UNSW has with the community, a combination of individual experiences and broader impact.
UNSW also co-hosted the signature Mardi Gras event, Queer Futures, which was produced by UNSW’s Centre for Ideas. Listen to a key conversation from the event on the Centre for Ideas podcast.
Congratulations to everyone involved across our student, staff and community connections on a highly successful 2026 Mardi Gras season.
- Log in to post comments