Gettin' Gay in Sydney

Bream Street: The latest boy-band craze!

"What was women's punishment? Painful child birth, menstrual cycles. Man's punishment? We have to deal with women. That's why I get upset when I hear people say 'God hates Gays.' God doesn't hate gay people; he's just mad they found a loophole in the system."-Comedian Daniel Tosh

Saturday March 7th marked the annual Gay Mardi Gras festivities in Sydney, which are characterized by a frenzied street festival during the day and a flamboyant parade at night. My friends and I decided that we would really get into the feel of the festivities and just add some outlandish accessories to our wardrobes for the day. As a side fact, 95% of the people at the festival are straight but based on most people's stereotypical outfits, you wouldn't guess it.

We woke up, got decked out and began our day of drinking and celebrating. The best way to describe the leadup for the day is that it is similar to a Homecoming or Spring Fling event in that copious amounts of alcohol are consumed starting at unreasonably early hours and continuing for an unnecessarily long period of time.

By about 3PM, my friends and I made our way out to Hyde Park in Sydney to meet up with friends and await the parade. It was another beautiful day in this paradise and the area surrounding Hyde Park was jam packed full of revelers. The parade wasn’t starting until 7, so we spent our time walking around and talking to various people.

The city was packed with party goers.

At some point I got separated from my friends and experienced my first truly unpleasant moment of my abroad experience thus far. I found out where my friends were but wasn’t sure how to get to, so I asked a few teenagers how to get to the area. Recognizing my American accent, the locals responded with a barrage of anti-American rhetoric that I never expected to hear here in Sydney. As I began walking away one of the punks pushed me from behind, causing me to drop and break my phone. I picked up the pieces and continued on my way, but it just goes to show you that anywhere you go, the village idiots won’t be too far behind.

The next several hours consisted of me trying to frantically locate my friends without the aid of my phone. Fortunately, like many other countries Australian phones run on Sim-cards, which can be transferred to another phone and have all data, such as phone numbers, stored on them. With the help of some friendly strangers, I was able to locate and rendezvous with my friends. The rest of the night consisted of hopping around bars on Oxford Street, as the youth of the city was out in packs enjoying the live music and plentiful libations.

I ended the day with some relaxing late-night Hookah on the beach with some good people. Sunday was spent lounging around Coogee Beach, taking in some rays, and enjoying the crisp water. With the exception of one minor incident, the weekend had gone off without a hitch. Classes were starting the upcoming week, but life went on in paradise.

Late Night Hookah on Coogee Beach