Mardi Gras director Kyriakos Gold, who is seeking re-election to the charity’s board this month, has threatened to sue the organisation unless it pays him tens of thousands of dollars in compensation for expenses and lost income to respond to what he alleges was a mishandled complaint-handling process examining allegations made against him, the outcome of which remains unclear.
Internal board emails and a separate letter leaked to Gay Sydney News show Gold, who is running for re-election under the Protect Mardi Gras membership faction, wrote to Mardi Gras interim CEO Jesse Matheson and board co-chairs Kathy Pavlich and Daniel "Mits" Delisle proposing to resolve what he described as the "grievance handling" process in relation to the allegations "promptly, constructively, and without recourse to external legal escalation".
Details of the original allegations themselves are not revealed in the communications leaked to Gay Sydney News and it is not suggested by GSN that the the complaint-handling process substantiated them. Instead, the documents show Gold has sought a financial settlement to cover his expenses and lost income arising from the complaint-handling process, which he also alleges was mishandled.
Gold did not respond on the record to a request for comment. Mardi Gras said it would "not engage in public commentary on internal matters relating to staff or the Board".
"We will also not respond to speculation or unauthorised disclosures. Please respect the privacy of our staff, board and volunteers," the charity said.
A source close to the board, who did not wish to be named due to the sensitive nature of the matter, raised concerns with Gold's threat of suing the charity while running for re-election
"How can someone run for re-election of a volunteer board position while continuing to seek a $50,000 [settlement], especially as someone who has had an [alleged] grievance [raised against] them? What message does that send to current and future staff about complaints?" they said. GSN reminds readers that it is not clear if the allegations against Gold, the substance of which have not been disclosed, were substantiated.
Gold raises disability access concerns
In a letter dated August 27, 2025, Gold – who is autistic – alleged "serious procedural failures, including breaches of confidentiality, denial of procedural fairness, and a failure to provide disability access and psychological safety".
He also referred to what he described as an independent review, seemingly separate to Mardi Gras' own internal processes, which he said had "confirmed breaches of policy and governance obligations" by the charity.
"In addition, the absence of a clear disability access framework and trauma-informed practices – despite my having repeatedly raised my needs as an autistic director – materially compounded the harm I experienced, affecting both my health and my ability to participate fully in my role," he wrote.
GSN has not seen the review and does not suggest it substantiates Gold's claims or that it substantiates misconduct by Gold. Mardi Gras and Gold did not provide a copy of the report, redacted or otherwise, when asked.
Compensation sought
Gold said he incurred $39,000 plus GST ($42,900) in "professional, and advisory expenses" and lost $9800 in income due to three weeks of unpaid leave "to manage the pressure and distress caused by the unresolved process".
He also claimed his business faced disruption "with losses exceeding $100,000", although he said he was not seeking compensation for that component as part of his proposed settlement.
If Mardi Gras refused to pay the combined amount – totalling $52,700 – and undertake various actions, including expunging all related records, issuing a "letter of exoneration", and committing to "future protections" such as "trauma-informed protections in any future grievance processes", Gold said he may escalate to legal action. Gold's correspondence is on his own behalf and not under the hand of third-party lawyers.
The proposed exoneration letter, he wrote, must state that no adverse findings had "ever been made against me", that he had "been exonerated of all allegations", and that he remained "in good standing as a Director".
Gold proposed the settlement be executed through a deed of release including: confidentiality, mutual release of claims; no admission of liability; and execution of the deed by the co-chairs or CEO "without referral to the full Board".
He also wrote that the letter was "not intended for referral to, or consideration by, the full Board".
"I request that you confirm acceptance of this proposal by 15 September 2025. Upon agreement, I will provide draft wording for the deed and the exoneration letter for your review," he said.
Proposal rejected
Leaked emails show Delisle later rejected the proposal and raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
"Thank you for your presentation and for providing your materials to the Board," Delisle wrote in an October 26 email to Gold, board co-chair Kathy Pavlich and interim CEO Jesse Matheson.
"As you stated at the Board meeting on 20 October, 2025, you intend to proceed with legal action should your proposal not be accepted. The Board has now been fully briefed, including on the substance of your claim, and after seeking independent advice, has determined to reject your claims in full as presented. Accordingly, the organisation will not be making any payment in relation to your proposal.
"Given your stated position and the fact that you remain a Director of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Board requests that you clarify how you intend to manage the material conflict of interest this creates in relation to any ongoing Board discussions, decisions, or communications concerning operations and finances. We ask that you provide your response in writing by 5:00pm on Tuesday, 28 October."
Gold cites insurance obligations, formal notice
In a reply, Gold acknowledged the conflict, said he would manage it through recusal where required, and raised that the matter should now be reported to Mardi Gras' insurer. He also questioned whether confidentiality remained in relation to a separate complaint he made about organisational governance, the process of which was now complete.
Gold issued what he described as a "formal governance notice" and said the board's rejection of his settlement proposal "appears to conclude that process".
He said Mardi Gras was required to notify its insurer of his proposal and asked for confirmation that this had occurred, along with a copy of Mardi Gras' directors & officers insurance policy.
"Failure to notify in a timely manner could prejudice coverage and expose Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to further liability," he wrote.
Gold said he would comply with recusal obligations under the Corporations Act and continued to "discharge my broader statutory and fiduciary duties responsibly and in good faith".
He then sought confirmation that "appropriate conflict-of-interest procedures" had been followed by all directors and office holders, including by "any individual who has previously participated in, or overseen, the processes that are the subject of this claim, to the extent applicable".
While acknowledging that confidentiality "appropriately" protected the privacy of staff and complainants in relation to the allegations against him, he requested clarification about whether it applied to his own “experience and communications" on a separate complaint he had made against Mardi Gras.
"As the internal process [in respect of that matter] has now concluded… it is appropriate to confirm whether confidentiality provisions continue to apply, and to what extent," he wrote.
Gold ended his email requesting that his correspondence be tabled, circulated and minuted with the board.
It is unclear where the internal process and subsequent review are now at in relation to the allegations against Gold.
Editor’s note: Journalist Ben Grubb pays $50 annually for Mardi Gras membership to access discounts, including at retail stores and bars, but does not use the membership’s voting rights.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: [email protected]
