Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2010

The 2010 Mardi Gras festival was a great success for Dayenu. Our membership grew by over 10% and we had media coverage in the Australian Jewish News for both Fair Day and after the Parade.

2010 marks 10 years since Dayenu's inception and first appearance in the Mardi Gras parade, which caused outrage amongst sections of the Sydney Jewish community. Letters and articles supporting and opposing the Jewish GLBT community appeared in the pages of the Australian Jewish News for months. However, the overall response was positive, resulting in increased awareness of and support for GLBT issues within the mainstream Jewish community. Unfortunately, there remains an undercurrent of unwavering homophobia from individuals within the Orthodox and more traditional sections of the community.

Mardi Gras Fair Day and Launch, February 2010

Thanks to everyone who came along to Dayenu's Fair Day stall this year and thanks to the Israeli Embassy who helped us with funding and provided the prize for our raffle, a return flight to Tel Aviv!

Refer to our photos page for pics of our stalls from this year as well as previous years.

Dayenu's Mardi Gras Shabbat Dinner, February 2010

Our Mardi Gras Shabbat Service and Dinner at Emanuel Synagogue was a complete sell-out this year. Our special guest this year was Ivri Lider, the gay Israeli singer, who spoke about GLBT rights in Israel as well as singing a couple of songs.

In previous years, our guests have included Nitzan Gilady - director of the controversial movie Jerusalem is proud to present (links to YouTube trailer, IMDB and Variety review) - and Sandi Dubowski, director and producer of Trembling Before G-d and producer of A Jihad for Love.

Mardi Gras Parade, February 2010

Dayenu's 2010 float was a celebration of the ten years since we first marched in the Parade. Our float consisted of a three-tier rainbow-coloured birthday cake.

Photos of the parade and our float can be found on our photos page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I help build the Dayenu float?

We usually start building our Mardi Gras float at the end of January or beginning of February and we advertise these dates on our Yahoo and Facebook groups. Float-build evenings are great social events too, so please come along and help out. If you are interested in getting involved, please see how to join our Yahoo or Facebook group on the contact us page.

I want to march with Dayenu in the Mardi Gras Parade. Who do I register with?

Please email info@dayenu.org.au for more information and to register. There will be a charge to march with Dayenu, but that will include the cost of the tshirt.

I'm not out of the closet. Can I still participate in Dayenu events?

Many gay and lesbian Dayenu members have not come out to any family or friends (see our coming out page). Many of our events are private and GLBT-only and are held in members' homes, so you're not going to out yourself by coming along. Other events, such as our annual Mardi Gras Shabbat Dinner, are held on private property and are attended primarily by Dayenu members and Emanuel Synagogue members, so again you're in a safe environment. However, the Mardi Gras Parade is obviously much more public, with both local and international media coverage.

If you have any concerns about privacy, please contact us. More importantly, if you have any issues concerning your sexuality, please contact our counselling service. There's nothing worse than feeling like your alone. We want to help.

What do I wear in the Parade?

We request that all marchers wear official Dayenu t-shirts, which are now on sale. Mock-ups of the six 2010 t-shirt designs are shown below, however they are also available as singlets. All t-shirts and singlets are available in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and 3XL. While we recognise the diversity of our members and supporters, it is important that the Dayenu-branded t-shirts are worn by all so we are seen as a substantial cohesive group. We do not encourage a sleazy look, but accept the need for some members to accessorise. Please email us if you have any concerns. Apart from the t-shirt, we ask that you wear black or dark navy shorts/pants, and recommend comfortable walking shoes.

	Design 1 - $30 White with black lettering	Design 2 - $30 Sky blue with black lettering	Design 3 - $30 Grey with black lettering
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	Design 4 - $30 Pink with black lettering	Design 5 - $30 Red/orange with black lettering	Design 6 - $40 Black with gold/silver lettering
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Are any activities planned as a group after the Parade?

I represent a media organisation. Can I get access to the float during the parade?