Questions have been raised over Pride in Protest's pay-as-you-can offer to help cover Mardi Gras membership fees for people wanting to sign up in support of its cause.
Multiple members of the queer community contacted queer news publication Gay Sydney Daily expressing concern over an online offer of payment for Mardi Gras membership.
The online offer came from a post on Facebook by digital creator Subhi Awad, on November 7, with a link to Mardi Gras membership. The post went out to Subhi's 2400 followers; however, it only had two reactions and four comments, so it is unknown how many people it reached.
The post reads: "The Israeli company Fuzzy is hosting Pride events in Sydney. We're calling on people to become Mardi Gras members so you can vote for Pride in Protest candidates in the upcoming Annual Mardi Gras Meeting."
Fuzzy is an Australian events company with Australian founders and is behind the Mighty Hoopla festival, which replaced the Mardi Gras Bondi Beach Party during the February/March pride season.
The controversy surrounds KKR, which is the owner of Superstruct, the parent company of Fuzzy. KKR holds defence investments – including stakes in Novaria Group and Advanced Navigation, both of which have contracts with Israel, which is in a war with Gaza. Pride in Protest have protested against KKR and its investments, although the Mardi Gras organisation is not associated with KKR or its subsidiaries Fuzzy and Mighty Hoopla.
The post continues: "There is a membership sign up fee, but anyone is welcome to sign up. If you have any concerns with the fee, please also reach out and we can work something out."
The post concludes with contact details for a Pride in Protest candidate, which Gay Sydney Daily has omitted for privacy reasons.
There is nothing in the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras constitution that prohibits this action and Gay Sydney Daily is not suggesting any wrongdoing by Pride in Protest.
A Pride in Protest spokesperson told Gay Sydney Daily that the group did offer "pay as you can" options.
"We offer pay as you can options for people who want to march in our float, join our AGM campaign against genocide or anything else if people need subsidies," the group said, adding that Mardi Gras should be accessible to all parts of the community, and finances should not inhibit that.
"We have long advocated that the board should decrease the membership fee, and run more free access events."
Mardi Gras annual membership is $50 for adults and $40 for concessions, which Mardi Gras told Gay Sydney Daily was a modest fee "consistent with other community membership organisations, and it supports the core costs of running a community-governed organisation".
"Membership revenue helps fund year-round operations, governance, insurance and program delivery, and ensures Mardi Gras remains sustainable and community-owned," a Mardi Gras spokesperson said.
Pride in Protest said it hoped Mardi Gras took more seriously "how the cost of living crisis has impacted the most marginalised of our community".
Event accessibility was a key element of Mardi Gras interim chief executive Jesse Matheson's speech at the recent launch event of the 2026 festival.
"There is a whole community of events to explore in 2026 and this year we have made it completely free for events produced by and for trans- and gender-diverse communities, and also by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities," he said at the time.
It is unclear if anyone took Pride in Protest up on their financial assistance offer, as there were no further details provided to Gay Sydney Daily.
This article has been syndicated with permission from Gay Sydney Daily, run by journalist Eliot Hastie.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
