Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is delighted to have received eight nominations for the 78ers Committee, which will ensure that those members of LGBTQI communities who faced horrific treatment 40 years ago will have the opportunity to continue to contribute to the organisation’s future.
Over the next two weeks, 78er members of the organisation will be invited to vote for those individuals who they would like to lay the groundwork for this important Committee.
The establishment of the 78ers Committee comes at a time when Mardi Gras members and the Board are celebrating the contributions of 78ers, by honouring all SGLMG members who are 78ers with life membership in perpetuity. This decision was passed by an Extraordinary General Meeting in December 2017.
Board committees are put in place to ensure the Board has the expert knowledge and skills to ensure that directors are making decisions that advance the goals of Mardi Gras. The Board feels it is vital important that 78ers are represented at this level.
Any 78er who was a member of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was invited to nominate for one of six positions on the Committee, and those same members will all be able to vote for those who they would like to see as the inaugural members. The organisation believes that this process ensures that no matter which groups individual 78ers align themselves with they have an equal opportunity to contribute to Mardi Gras.
CEO Terese Casu, and Creative Director Greg Clarke, are excited to have worked with several 78ers on an Interim Creative Working Group, which has seen a number of people with significant community history and knowledge come together to make decisions on how 78ers would like to celebrate the 40th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Their ideas for Fair Day and Parade are set to impress.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras looks forward to the announcement of the first 78ers Committee members who will work with the Board to develop a set of goals they want to achieve to help move forward on delivering a world class festival that honours its history and works towards an exciting future.
The 2018 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras runs 16 February – 4 March. For more information, visit: www.mardigras.org.au for details.
Image: The 78ers at the Mardi Gras Parade – photo by Hamid Mousa