Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras have won a bid to host the 2023 event for international Pride event WorldPride, beating out Montreal and Houston with 60% of the vote.
The news was announced overnight in Athens, Greece at the annual general meeting for worldwide pride network InterPride.
Taking place over February and March 2023 in order to coincide with the 45th anniversary Mardi Gras, it’s the first time WorldPride has been to the Southern Hemisphere and Asia Pacific region.
In their bid, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras emphasised the struggles faced by LGBTQI+ people in many countries in the Asia Pacific region, with many still facing fundamental human rights abuses. They also pointed to progress made in the region – such as same-sex marriage becoming legal in Taiwan earlier this year.
“This is a major win for Sydney, Australia and the region more broadly,” said Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Co-Chair Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco.
“Bringing WorldWide Pride Down Under means we can celebrate and shine a spotlight on the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQI community in the region.”
WorldPride Committee Chair Robyn Kennedy commended Sydney Mardi Gras for the strides it’s taken since its inception as a protest march in 1978. “Now, the world will march with us down Oxford Street to celebrate our community and support our region.”
You can read Sydney’s winning bid for WorldPride 2023 here.
