17c起草社区

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras members have gathered for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) today, 4 July, to vote on a series of motions that have become the centre of some of the organisation鈥檚 biggest internal debates in recent years.

The meeting was triggered after a members鈥� petition reached the required threshold under Mardi Gras鈥� constitution, with members attending both in person at Harold Park Community Hall and online.

Seven resolutions were put forward for members to consider, covering issues including Board leadership, governance, trans inclusion, and the role of activism and political solidarity within the organisation.

The follows more than a year of tension inside Mardi Gras. Much of ths tension 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 faction have emerged in recent years: Protect Mardi Gras, and Pride in Protest (PiP).

Four of the motions involve the potential removal of current directors. Resolutions removing Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen as directors were passed, and resolutions removing the two co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich, were not passed.

Motions to remove directors are binding under the Corporations Act. If members vote in favour, those directors are removed from the Board on the day, but other motions are advisory only.

The meeting highlighted ongoing divisions among members, with some arguing the organisation needs greater stability and stronger governance, while others say Mardi Gras must remain committed to the activist roots that have shaped it since 1978, particularly needing to show stronger support trans rights.

As expected, this was a rowdy EGM. Several different speakers 鈥� from various factions and allegiances 鈥� were interrupted and/or heckled from members that disagreed (also from various factions and allegiances), and Chair Mark Orr had to step in several times, reminding members they will be ejected if they did not adhere to the Code of Conduct for the meeting.

The motions at today’s Mardi Gras Extraordinary General Meeting were:

• Item of Business (Resolution) 1 鈥� Adoption of Governance Principles
• Item of Business (Resolution) 2 鈥� Removal of Director Damien Nguyen
• Item of Business (Resolution) 3 鈥� Removal of Director Luna Choo
• Item of Business (Resolution) 4 鈥� No LGB without the T
• Item of Business (Resolution) 5 鈥� Removal of Director Mits Delisle
• Item of Business (Resolution) 6 鈥� Removal of Director Kathy Pavlich
• Item of Business (Resolution) 7 鈥� No LGB without the T

How members voted the the 2026 Mardi Gras EGM

So, here’s how the motions went at today’s EGM.

Please note that media are not permitted to quotes members from this meeting without permission, as per the rules set by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. In light of this 17c起草社区 has anonymised quotes from Mardi Gras members, and only attributed quotes by public figures of Mardi Gras 鈥� SGLMG directors, and Chair Mark Orr.

Resolution 7 鈥� No LGB without the T

This motion was the first discussed of the day.

Moved by co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich, this motion also asks members to endorse the statement that 鈥渢here is no LGB without the T鈥� and reject any suggestion that trans people are outsiders imposing on the 17c起草社区IA+ community. Unlike Resolution 4, it does not include the additional reaffirmation of the trans rights and anti-discrimination reform motions passed at the 2025 AGM.

Co-chair Mits Delisle, one of the people who moved the motion, told the crowd that it asks whether trans and gender diverse people belong at the heart of Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras,” but he “believes they always have”.

A member got up to speak against motion, saying they speak against the motion “not to criticise it, [but] because this is a copy paste of a motion that has been written by trans people, but with the commitments taken out.

A 78er then spoke in support of the motion, asking members to support the motion, saying there’s “no way that [trans people] are not part of this group, but as life and society changes, we are moving more and more towards bringing those people more into the circle of our community.”

PASSED

FOR – 1199

AGAINST – 48

ABSTAIN – 430

Resolution 4 鈥� No LGB without the T

This was the second resolution discussed of the day. It’s similar to Resolution 7, with additions. 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 17c起草社区IA+ community.

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

Speakers discussed the Resolutions from the previous AGM who regarded support for the trans community, which were not upheld. One speaker, who spoke for this resolution: “We have a rising One Nation, where we have Trump going ridiculously crazy, and some of those things were the simplest of asks, and people then said no [to] those simplest of asks…”

A speaker, speaking against the motion, said: “Should Mardi Gras want at some future time to have all the parade about trans issues? Not a bad idea, but this requires planning and it requires cooperation with all the parade entrants. It would need a good 18 months lead time. Yes, maybe that is something we do actually need to do, considering the environment in which we are. However, for Mardi Gras at in December to tell all floats where they’re due to be in the following year is nonsensical.”

Another speaker said they “fear [for] gay and lesbian Mardi Gras if we do not adopt a politics that, one, is actively very clear about supporting trans rights, but two, takes real action about it.”

Another speaker said ‘Eh to both of them… Let’s write something that’s a little bit fucking better than this, because they deserve it.”

NOT PASSED

FOR – 520

AGAINST – 1083

ABSTAIN – 75

Resolution 1 鈥� Adoption of Governance Principles

This motion proposes new governance principles aimed at ensuring Mardi Gras directors and members act independently of external organisations, factions or political groups when participating in Mardi Gras business. It would also restrict members from publicly speaking on behalf of Mardi Gras without formal authorisation.

The person who moved the directed his comments towards activist faction Pride in Protest, saying “we follow the members’ rules, even if we don’t like it… We don’t then go and march and vote against it. We are not PiP. We will never be PiP, and hopefully this is the last time we’ll actually hear PiP.”

One member spoke against the resolution, calling the motion “redundant and restrictive”, and saying “this motion is so excessive that a Mardi Gras member doing something like volunteering for the Inner City Legal Centre… or a member expressing frustration about event ticket prices, could be construed as having breached their membership requirements… asking every one of us to abandon all interests not perfectly in alignment with Mardi Gras when participating is ludicrous, unenforceable, and deeply irresponsible.”

This was followed by another member speaking for, simply stating, “It’s just your fiduciary duty, that’s that’s as simple as that.”

PASSED

FOR – 1187

AGAINST – 451

ABSTAIN – 40

Resolution 2 鈥� Removal of Director Damien Nguyen

The second motion seeked to remove director Damien Nguyen. stating that the proposers have “lost confidence” in their ability to fulfil their responsibilities under the Corporations Act 2001, Mardi Gras Constitution and Board Charter.

Nguyen was given 20 minutes to address members, and spoke widely about the violence and harm faced by marginalised communities and intersections within the 17c起草社区IA+ community, and relating this to moments ofrecent Mardi Gras history and governance motions. This led to Nguyen’s point that activist representation, and representation of the more marginalised groups and intersections within our community, are important and necessary on the Mardi Gras Board.

Several comments in the online chat raised concerns about relevance, which was responded to by another member saying, “Because it’s relevant. It’s the reason why he became a director, and who he is representing. ”

The person who moved the motion, who also moved Resolution #1, then stood up to say they wouldn’t read out all of it, but had “pages of pages” of concerns about Damien’s actions as a Mardi Gras director.

PASSED

FOR – 1198

AGAINST – 445

ABSTAIN – 34

Resolution 3 鈥� Removal of Director Luna Choo

The third motion seeked to remove director Luna Choo. stating that the proposers have “lost confidence” in their ability to fulfil their responsibilities under the Corporations Act 2001, Mardi Gras Constitution and Board Charter.

Choo was also given 20 minutes to speak, and spoke about the Resolutions 2 and 5 from last year’s AGM, and how disappointed she was despite this alignment that those resolutions weren’t upheld and that it is “unacceptable that the co-chairs of a members organisation have such power to veto solutions from hundreds of members”.

Choo spoke of her lived experience as a trans woman and refugee, and the support she received from community and people in the room when she faced deportation, encouraging people to “keep moving forward to the march of progress always and leave no one behind on that road to the 50th to the 51st to the centennial and back to the first Mardi Gras,” finished Choo.

At the halfway point of Choo’s speech, a point of order was raised about Choo being off-topic, with a member of the crowd asking to hear more about why Choo wants to stay as director. This caused a a scuffle of discussion among the crowd. Chair Mark Orr calmed down the crowd, and said “it’s all in the context of what does the person bring, what’s the passion they want to bring to Mardi Gras, and you know, I think that’s why I’m giving it a bit more latitude than people might want.”

The member who moved the motion spoke after Choo concluded. They said “this is not a matter of passion, it’s a matter of conduct” and “a director cannot continually undermine the organisation they are meant to govern” 鈥� this caused another scuffle of yelling from the crowd. “You didn’t do the job 鈥� and you’re not doing the job very well now,” they concluded.

PASSED

FOR – 1200

AGAINST – 441

ABSTAIN – 34

Resolution 5 鈥� Removal of Director Mits Delisle

Speaking against the motion to remove him, Delisle said the dispute had been incorrectly framed as a debate about trans rights, arguing that 鈥渆very director on this board supports our trans and gender diverse communities.鈥� They said concerns raised within the Board related to governance, confidentiality and director responsibilities, rather than opposition to trans inclusion.

Delisle also pointed to work completed during his time on the Board, including implementing governance recommendations, improving financial oversight, and rebuilding partnerships.

The member who spoke in favour of the motion argued Mardi Gras leadership and the co-chairs had failed to adequately respond to concerns raised by parts of the community, particularly around trans rights, the handling of director Luna Choo鈥檚 misgendering, and the cancellation of the 2026 Mardi Gras Party.

They argued the issue was ultimately about leadership and accountability, saying members deserved clearer communication and stronger action heading into the organisation鈥檚 50th anniversary.

NOT PASSED

FOR – 435

AGAINST – 1181

ABSTAIN – 35

Resolution 6 鈥� Removal of Director Kathy Pavlich

Speaking against the motion to remove her, Pavlich reflected on her almost 37 years of involvement with Mardi Gras and said serving on the Board was about 鈥渃ustodianship鈥� 鈥� protecting the organisation鈥檚 history while ensuring its future beyond the 50th anniversary.

Pavlich defended her record supporting 17c起草社区IA+ communities, saying allegations she had not supported trans people were deeply hurtful and did not reflect her decades of community work. She said the motion did not meet the threshold required to remove a director and argued she had worked to create stability, financial security, and a stronger future for Mardi Gras.

Her speech was interrupted multiple times, but she received a standing ovation from supporters at its conclusion.

The member who spoke in favour of removing Pavlich raised similar concerns to the previous motion, arguing while they held no ill will toward Pavlich personally and appreciated the “service that [she’s] given to the parade for so many decades,” this resolution was about leadership and governance. They said members had democratically brought the motion forward because they believed the organisation had failed to act strongly enough on issues including trans rights and anti-discrimination reform, and also argued Mardi Gras needed stronger leadership ahead of its 50th anniversary, particularly amid rising anti-trans rhetoric.

NOT PASSED

FOR – 414

AGAINST – 1193

ABSTAIN – 35

In a joint statement after the EGM had concluded, the SGLMG said they acknowledged the outcome of today鈥檚 vote and thanked members for their participation in this process.

“The organisation will review the matters raised in the lead-up to the EGM and provide a further update to members in due course. SGLMG recognises that the calling of this EGM, the process and public debate that preceded it, and the outcome of today鈥檚 vote, together point to a need for change within the organisation, regardless of the result of any individual resolution. The Board will treat this as a mandate to strengthen governance and trust with members,” read the SGLMG statement.

“SGLMG reaffirms its commitment to the inclusion and support of all members of the 17c起草社区IA+SB community, with particular focus on trans members, and will continue to progress this work as the organisation moves toward its 50th anniversary in 2028 鈥� a milestone SGLMG is determined to reach as a stronger, more united and more accountable organisation for the whole community we serve.”