17cÆð²ÝÉçÇø

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras members will head to an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 4 July to vote on a series of motions that go to the heart of some of the organisation’s most contentious internal disputes of the past 18 months.

after a members’ petition reached the threshold required under the organisation’s constitution.

According to Mardi Gras, 469 signatures were submitted, with 246 verified as current members at the time the petition was lodged. The Board subsequently resolved to convene a hybrid EGM, allowing members to participate either in person at Harold Park Community Hall or online.

For many people watching from the sidelines, the agenda can look like a confusing mix of governance language, director removal motions and ongoing arguments about trans rights and Palestine solidarity.

So we’ve boiled it down to the basics – here’s what Mardi Gras members will be voting on, and why the meeting has become such a flashpoint.

Why is Mardi Gras holding an EGM?

An Extraordinary General Meeting is essentially a special meeting of members outside the normal Annual General Meeting cycle – the last AGM was held in November last year.

Unlike a regular board meeting, an EGM gives the broader membership the opportunity to vote directly on resolutions. In this case, the meeting was triggered by a member petition seeking votes on a number of issues.

The agenda contains seven resolutions: four involve the possible removal of directors, two relate to trans inclusion, and one proposes new governance principles for the organisation.

Importantly, not all resolutions carry the same weight.

Motions to remove directors are binding under the Corporations Act. If members vote in favour of this one, those directors are removed from the Board.

But otther motions are advisory only. So if  those are passed, they express the view of the membership but don’t automatically compel the Board to act on them.

The background: trans rights and board conflict

Much of the tension surrounding the EGM stems from a long-running dispute over trans rights motions that were passed at the 2025 AGM, subsequent disagreements between directors, and criticism of how the Board handled those disputes.

Two competing camps have emerged.

On one side is , whose members argue the organisation is being subjected to ongoing internal attacks and global politics issues that don’t relate to the 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community, and that repeated attempts to remove directors are damaging to the festival and community as  a whole.

On the other side is , whose members argue that global political issues are intertwined with the 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community, that Mardi Gras leadership has failed to adequately support trans people, and alleges the organisation unfairly targeted two directors who spoke publicly in support of trans rights.

Pride in Protest spokesperson and Mardi Gras member Jean Maxine said the EGM was part of a broader campaign around trans inclusion.

“The trans community has been left behind by Mardi Gras leadership. With this EGM, we are continuing our fight for a Mardi Gras that isn’t afraid to stand up to politicians about supporting our community.”

“This two-faced Mardi Gras Board has villanised our trans community but still insist that they support us. Members have called this EGM to end this outrageous hypocrisy.”

Meanwhile, Protect Mardi Gras founder and 78er Peter Murphy has urged members to reject the push to remove directors.

“We are appalled that Pride in Protest have brought on this EGM in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisation, again to kick people out – this time our two co-Chairs – right in the middle of Pride Month,” Murphy said.

“We urge all SGLMG members to take part in this EGM to affirm that our Mardi Gras is inclusive and to reject the relentless attacks on it from Pride in Protest. If you cannot attend the EGM in person or online, make sure you give your proxy to a member you trust who is attending, so that we can all work together for a bigger, better Parade and Festival in this world which is becoming more and more hostile to our community.”

Resolutions at the 2026 Mardi Gras EGM

So what exactly will Mardi Gras members be voting on at the July EGM? We’ve laid (resolutions) out for you.

Resolution 1: New governance rules

The first motion seeks to introduce a set of governance principles aimed at preventing directors and members from acting on behalf of external political groups while participating in Mardi Gras affairs.

The motion would also discourage members from publicly presenting themselves as speaking on behalf of Mardi Gras without formal authorisation and would allow disciplinary action in some circumstances.

In simple terms, supporters are likely to view it as a way to ensure directors act solely in the interests of Mardi Gras, rather than any outside organisation or faction, and to prevent misrepresentation of Mardi Gras when speaking publicly.

Critics, however, are likely to view it as a response to activist organising, and/or public criticism of the Board.

Resolutions 2 and 3: Removing Damien Nguyen and Luna Choo

The second and third motions seek to remove directors Damien Nguyen and Luna Choo from the Board.

The explanatory memoranda attached to both motions are brief, stating that the proposers have “lost confidence” in each director’s ability to fulfil their responsibilities under the Corporations Act 2001, Mardi Gras Constitution and Board Charter.

No further details about this loss of confidence are included in the documents released to members.

Resolution 4: ‘No LGB without the T’

This is one of two motions dealing directly with trans inclusion. It asks members to reaffirm resolutions passed at the 2025 AGM supporting trans rights and anti-discrimination reform. It also asks members to endorse the statement that “there is no LGB without the T” and reject the idea that trans people are outsiders to the 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community.

The explanatory memorandum says the motion is intended to “provide clarity of what position members expect the board to take so that the organisation can move forward.”

Resolutions 5 and 6: Removing co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich

The most politically significant votes may be the motions seeking to remove co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich.

Unlike the motions against Nguyen and Choo, these explanatory memoranda are lengthy and detail a range of grievances.

The documents cite disputes over trans rights, criticism of communications sent to members, concerns regarding treatment of directors Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen, and dissatisfaction with the handling of the cancelled 2026 Mardi Gras Party. They also raise concerns about alleged links between event contractors and companies accused of involvement in Israel’s conflict in Gaza.

The motions have become intertwined with broader debates about Palestine solidarity within queer spaces.

Miles Carter, who moved several of the petition-backed motions, linked the dispute directly to Mardi Gras’ handling of pro-Palestine activism.

“Since 1978, Mardi Gras has embraced international gay solidarity,” said Carter. “Our queer community is challenging Mardi Gras leadership for its crackdown on pro-Palestine activists, because we understand that our fight for queer liberation is a global one.”

Resolution 7: Another ‘No LGB without the T’ motion

The final motion is a shorter version of Resolution 4, moved by co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich themselves. It asks members to endorse the statement that there is “no LGB without the T” and reject any suggestion that trans people are outsiders imposing on the community.

Unlike Resolution 4, it does not include the section reaffirming the 2025 AGM resolutions.

What happens next?

All seven motions will be debated and voted on at the 4 July meeting. Ordinary resolutions require a simple majority of eligible votes to pass.

Whatever the outcome, the EGM is shaping up as another chapter in an increasingly public factional struggle over what Mardi Gras should represent, which voices are heard, and how the organisation navigates its involvement with trans rights, activism and political solidarity with intersectional issues.

For some members, the meeting is about restoring confidence in leadership. For others, it’s about ensuring Mardi Gras remains firmly aligned with trans inclusion and activist traditions that have shaped the festival since its beginnings. For most, it’s about restoring unity – but different opinions on how we go about doing that.

You can .

The in-person meeting will be held at , but Mardi Gras members can also participate online via Zoom and through the Vero Voting platform — members will be sent a unique link from Vero Voting prior to the meeting.

17cÆð²ÝÉçÇø contacted Mardi Gras for comment — the organisation was unable to provide comment, as this EGM relates to the removal of Directors.