Sydney Mardi Gras members to vote on depoliticising board

Sydney Mardi Gras board directors would be forced to suspend their membership of political parties while serving on the organisation’s board under a proposal to be debated at this month’s annual general meeting – a move its backers say would remove partisan influence from Mardi Gras’ governance and refocus it on community representation.

The proposal by former Mardi Gras director Melanie Schwerdt is one of several politically charged member motions to be voted on at the non-profit organisation’s annual general meeting on November 29.

Other motions call for Mardi Gras to cut ties with companies linked to Israel’s war in Gaza, excluding the Australian Border Force, NSW Police and Defence Force from future parades, and condemning US President Donald Trump’s administration and his supporters.

Out of the nine member motions listed for debate, six are moved by members aligned with the Pride in Protest faction and two by Protect Mardi Gras-aligned members, while the remaining one, lodged by former director Schwerdt, brings the total to nine.

Seconded by Paul Savage, another former Mardi Gras director, Schwerdt’s proposal seeks “to ensure political neutrality in board governance” by directing the board to make sure that directors “suspend any role with any political party” while on the board.

In her supporting statement, Schwerdt argues that party affiliations risk creating “real or perceived conflicts of interest” and undermining community trust in the board’s independence.

She says directors should act solely in the best interests of the LGBTQIA+ community, free from partisan obligations, to protect the integrity and credibility of Mardi Gras’ leadership.

Her motion’s explanatory statement warns there is “a real risk that Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras could be used as a platform for purposes beyond the objects outlined” in its constitution, and that to protect against this, “any active involvement in a political party or its affiliates must be transparently disclosed”.

Where a conflict of interest – “actual, perceived, or potential” – is identified, it says a director should “either step down from their political role for the duration of their directorship, or relinquish their position on the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Board”.

The supporting memo describes the proposal as a safeguard against partisan influence, stating it would help ensure the organisation “remains focused solely on its mission and maintains the trust of our community”. It adds that pride organisations must remain “politically neutral to effectively represent and advocate for the full diversity of our LGBTQIA+ communities”.

“It will reduce the risk of reputational damage, maintain public trust, and ensure alignment with its constitutional objectives,” the supporting memo says.

The proposal acknowledges that there may be concerns about limiting participation from politically active individuals, but argues this can be managed “through clear communication, fair implementation, and a commitment to inclusive governance”.

It also notes that while some may worry the rule could reduce the pool of qualified candidates, the intent is not to exclude people based on political involvement but to ensure transparency and prioritise Mardi Gras’ mission above party interests.

To mitigate potential risks, the supporting statement suggests the board could establish additional committees – such as “a governance committee focused on ensuring neutrality in political, government and private partnerships” or another dedicated to managing “partnerships and relationships” – to capture external expertise while keeping decision-making impartial and community-focused.

Political makeup

The proposal comes amid ongoing public discussion about the political makeup of the board.

Current director Luc Velez, who is affiliated with the activist group Pride in Protest, which is not a registered political party, is a member of the Greens political party and a former federal election candidate who this year ran unsuccessfully against Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek in the seat of Sydney.

During Velez‘s active campaigning for the seat as a Greens candidate, Velez agreed with Mardi Gras to take a leave of absence from the board.

Fellow director Daniel Mitsuru Delisle is also involved in politics as a Labor Party member. His partner, Mat Howard, is an Inner West Council Labor councillor, former deputy mayor, and former deputy chief of staff to former NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen. The minister thanked Howard for his loyalty in a speech announcing her resignation as a minister following revelations about her use of a ministerial car for private purposes.

Savanna Peake, who is running to be a director during the current Mardi Gras directors’ election and is aligned with the Protect Mardi Gras group, is also a Labor Party member and a former unsuccessful candidate for the party in the federal seat of Wentworth in Sydney’s east.

Both Peake and Delisle are also Rainbow Labor NSW co-convenors. And while Delisle follows the Protect Mardi Gras Instagram account, he has not publicly said that he supports its cause.

Another board candidate, Jarrod Lomas, is a member of the Liberal Party.

Peake and Lomas are also directors of the Pride Business Association, a non-profit organisation for LGBTQIA+ business people and professionals in NSW.

Other AGM motions

Another motion, lodged by Pride in Protest-aligned Miles Carter, who is running for a Mardi Gras director seat, and seconded by another of the group’s members, Jesper Duffy, seeks to permanently ban the NSW Police Force from marching as an official float in the parade, citing police violence, discrimination and deaths in custody.

The proposal says individual officers could still march in other community floats but argues that formally including the force “acts as a tacit endorsement” of police conduct that “does not align with Mardi Gras’ values, principles, and commitment to LGBTQIA+ communities”.

Another motion, seconded by activist group Pride in Protest board candidate Alyss Cachia and lodged by another member of the group, Evan Gray, is titled “Embrace Trans Rights, Not Trump” and urges Mardi Gras to condemn US President Donald Trump’s “transphobic, white supremacist” administration, reject sponsorship of Mardi Gras from his supporters, and encourage parade floats to promote trans rights.

The motion links Trump’s influence to the rise of far-right and anti-drag activity in Australia, describing solidarity with trans people as “non-negotiable”.

It calls for the board to “not platform Trump’s supporters by making financial and material support for Trump a criteria for rejecting a sponsorship” and it recommends the board “encourage all parade participants to make support for trans rights a key part of their float”.

A separate motion from Pride in Protest board candidate Luna Choo, seconded by the group’s other board candidate Carlos Badelles-Agito (also known as Tala Ka), calls on Mardi Gras to “cut ties with genocide” by boycotting companies allegedly complicit in Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

It urges the organisation to avoid partnerships with event producer Fuzzy and its parent company KKR until they “are no longer complicit in human rights violations”, and to adopt the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) framework as a stance of cultural solidarity with Palestinians. (Fuzzy is the producer of the upcoming Mighty Hoopla music festival at Bondi Beach being held during Mardi Gras, which replaced the Mardi Gras-run Bondi Beach Party. Mighty Hoopla has not partnered with Mardi Gras.)

The motion further requests that members express support “of the cultural and academic boycott of the State of Israel as a response to genocide, and requests that Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras publicly share this sentiment”.

Another motion backed by Jesper Duffy and seconded by Melissa Sukkarieh, both aligned with Pride in Protest, seeks to exclude the Australian Border Force and Australian Defence Force from marching in future parades, accusing both of systemic racism, sexism, and transphobia, and claiming their participation conflicts with Mardi Gras’ ethical charter.

Another proposal, from Protect Mardi Gras-aligned board candidate Savanna Peake and seconded by Protect Mardi Gras co-founder Peter Stahel, calls for a reaffirmation of Mardi Gras’ founding values of inclusivity, unity, and respectful dialogue.

Another, from Charlie Murphy and seconded by Rohen Snowball, both Pride in Protest-aligned members, advocates for Mardi Gras to transition to full public funding to reduce reliance on corporate sponsors and expand free community events.

Other motions to be debated include a proposal by current director Kyriakos Gold, who is seeking to be re-elected as a director, for formal reconciliation with the bi+ community following historical exclusion from Mardi Gras membership in the 1990s. The proposal is seconded by Steven Spencer, a bisexual man.

Another motion, by Pride in Protest member Evan Gray and seconded by Pride in Protest board candidate Alyss Cachia, urges Mardi Gras to campaign for the abolition of religious exemptions in anti-discrimination law and hold politicians accountable for their positions on LGBTQIA+ rights.

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.