Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2012

Mardi Gras 2011 was Dayenu's 11th time marching in the Parade. We've marched every year since Dayenu's creation in 2000 (except for 2006). A lot has changed since 2000. Back then, a Jewish float in the page was front-page news - for the Australian Jewish News - and while the newspaper was very supportive of Dayenu, there was outrage within certain sections of the Sydney Jewish community. Letters and articles supporting and opposing the Jewish GLBTI community were published in the pages of the AJN for months. Ultimately, the overall response was positive, resulting in increased awareness of and support for GLBTI issues within the mainstream Jewish community. Unfortunately, there remains an undercurrent of unwavering homophobia from certain individuals within the more traditional sections of the community.

The dates for 2012 have been announced by Mardi Gras. The festival will run from Sunday 12th February until Saturday 3rd March 2012.

Mardi Gras Fair Day - Sunday 12th February

Please see our archives page for photos of our stalls from previous years.

Dayenu's Mardi Gras Shabbat Service and Dinner - Friday 2nd March

Our annual Mardi Gras Shabbat Service and Dinner at Emanuel Synagogue will be taking place on Friday 2nd March, the night before the Mardi Gras Parade.

In previous years, our guests have included Jewish comedian David Bloustien, Israeli gay singer Ivri Lider and Nitzan Gilady, the 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 - Saturday 3rd March

Dayenu's 2011 float was a huge success. Our 2.5m high three dimensional Star of David was beautifully lit and was shown in Foxtel's TV coverage of the parade.

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

If you would like to march with Dayenu in 2012 to show your support for GLBTI Jews, please email us at info@dayenu.org.au.

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 will be on sale soon. A mock-up of the 2011 t-shirt design will be shown below once the design is complete. All t-shirts and singlets will be available in sizes XS to 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.

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?