by Ellejae Balraj
Worldroom.com

he images of Sydney as host of perhaps the greatest Olympic games in history remain fresh in many people's minds - from aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman lighting the torch (and then winning a gold medal in the 400 meters) to the Harbor Bridge exploding in a fusillade of fireworks.

But beginning Feb. 9, the picturesque harbor city will be the site of another world-class event for the 23rd time - the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. And, if history is any measure, the images of the largest gay and lesbian festival anywhere on the planet will be equally unforgettable.

The Mardi Gras is a month-long celebration of gay and lesbian art, film, music, sporting events, and poetry that culminates in a spectacular - and somewhat risque - parade through the streets of Sydney. It has become Australia's biggest public party of any kind, gay or straight, drawing television coverage from around the world.

Bloody Beginnings

Today's glam ma'am Mardi Gras bears little resemblance to original on June 24, 1978, when about 1,000 people marched down Oxford Street to celebrate International Gay Solidarity Day. They were confronted by police, who ordered them to disperse. A riot broke out, 53 marchers were arrested and more were bloodied during altercations.

While homophobia persists in some pockets of Australia -- as evidenced by a recent television story that featured an elderly couple that was chased out of their community because of their gay son - most of Sydney embraces this cultural element as an expression of freedom.

The arrests sparked a campaign for the right of gays and lesbians to march and laid the foundation for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It's been growing and evolving ever since into an event in which creativity is given a free rein, as seen in the dazzling costumes, wild floats and supporting parties that promise to get the message across.

The idea of an accompanying arts festival as another mode of gay and lesbian expression became a reality in 1983, running concurrently with the Mardi Gras. In 1985, when the hue and cry over AIDS created immense pressure on the committee to give up its party of the year, they soldiered on with the theme "Fighting for Our Lives." Five years later, the arts festival ran for three weeks with more than 60 separate events. And by 1992 the Mardi Gras was the largest lesbian and gay festival in the world, lasting for four weeks.

The Mardi Gras' impact on the local economy also is robust, amounting to US$99 million in 1998 - no small accomplishment for something that had started as a protest march just 20 years earlier.

Art, Film, Music

Up to a million people take in the sights at one point or another during the weeks of the celebration. They come from all over the globe not only to see the parade, but the impressive number of events scattered throughout the city: from Gay Film Week to Gay Arts Festivals and launches of gay and lesbian books. In 1995, the organizers launched The Mardi Gras Party Anthem CD and 20,000 copies were instantly snapped up, placing it on the compilation charts for five weeks. Each year sees a new entrant to this stable of alternative party music.

While homophobia persists in some pockets of Australia -- as evidenced by a recent television story that featured an elderly couple that was chased out of their community because of their gay son - most of Sydney embraces this cultural element as an expression of freedom.

To be sure, the Mardi Gras isn't for everyone. But if you plan to be in Sydney between Feb. 9 and March 3 and would like to experience the rich and colorful stories depicted in the gay community's art, books and films, you won't be disappointed.

The "anything goes" dress code means that the crowds are as interesting to watch as the parades and events themselves. And not to worry, the police have not arrested a single person since the first Mardi Gras in 1978. Just don't drink and drive, still the biggest no-no in New South Wales as the battle against drink driving continues.

For more information: www.mardigras.com.au