Source: ABC Radio National – Life Matters: Remembering 40 years of Mardi Gras
Over the past four decades, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has turned into a huge celebration, giving people the chance to celebrate their identities.
Jewish members of the LGBTI community have marched in the parade for years, but it wasn’t until the year 2000 that they decided to create a huge float to stand out from the crowd.
Dawn Cohen, one of the coordinators of the Jewish Pride float, remembers it as a “damn scary” time, but one she is proud to have been part of.
“It’s an incredible privilege to see social change, and to know I played a tiny little role in that,” she says.
“I feel so proud of the Australian Jewish community, the Australian gay community and of Australia itself. We bet our lives on you, and we won that bet.”
As Sydney gears up for today’s parade, listen to Dawn Cohen reflect on Jewish Pride.
