Brandon Bear has stepped down mid-term as co-chair and board director of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, just months after being re-elected at the organisation’s most recent annual general meeting in December.
Bear was due to serve as a director until December 2026, but has now resigned following the 2025 festival, ending nearly a decade of involvement with the organisation.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to be part of the Mardi Gras board,” he told Gay Sydney News.
“I am taking the opportunity to focus on my work and personal life. Things change for us all and I need to make sure I have time to focus on what’s important – including my new puppy.
“I look forward to enjoying the season next year and wish the board and staff all the best as they plan for 2026.”
During his time with Mardi Gras, Bear held several key roles, including community manager for the parade, board director, and co-chair in 2017 and 2018. He returned to the co-chair position alongside Mel Schwerdt during the 2024 season and again in 2025 with Kathy Pavlich.
In a statement, the Mardi Gras board thanked Bear for his “guidance and leadership – driven by his community-connectedness, belief in the importance of the organisation and passion for our vision”.
The Mardi Gras board has since appointed Daniel Mitsuru Delisle as co-chair alongside Pavlich. Delisle joined the board as a director in December 2024 and brings community experience through his work with Rainbow Families, the Rural Fire Service, and as a NSW Ambulance first responder volunteer.
Delisle is also a co-convenor of Rainbow Labor NSW, highlighting an increasingly politically engaged Mardi Gras board.
Fellow Mardi Gras director Luc Velez, from activist group Pride in Protest, is also politically active and is running as the Greens candidate in the upcoming federal election, challenging Labor incumbent Tanya Plibersek in the seat of Sydney.
Velez has taken a leave of absence from the board to pursue his candidacy and plans to return if unsuccessful. The seat of Sydney is considered a safe Labor electorate.
While on leave, Velez cannot attend board meetings or vote, leaving Pride in Protest’s other representative, Damien Nguyen, as the group’s sole voice on the board.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Kathy as co-chair,” Delisle said.
“In these turbulent times for our communities, the role of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has never been more important. I’m looking forward to being part of a new chapter for the organisation as we work toward the 50th anniversary in 2028.”
Delisle will remain in the co-chair role until the 2025 annual general meeting.
The Mardi Gras board said expressions of interest will soon open to fill the vacant director position. Applications will be reviewed by the people and nominations committee, with the board to appoint a replacement.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Ben Grubb, who pays $50 annually for Mardi Gras membership to access discounts, including at retail stores and bars, but doesn’t 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: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
