This Is What It's Like To Spend Mardi Gras With LGBT Teens
Behind the happy, smiling faces is one simple message for the government.
I am walking and dancing along Sydney’s Oxford street with a group of teenagers I met only a few hours ago singing: “When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be.”
The song booms from the float behind us. As I sneak glances at the bright young things I dance beside, I wonder how often this group of LGBT teenagers get to feel like they have the whole world rooting for them.
It’s Mardi Gras night in Sydney and I’m with Wear It Purple, a not-for-profit organisation who work to empower, educate, and support queer youth. Tonight they provide something these young people don’t always have: a safe space to celebrate their sexuality.
Samantha Donoghue
Gyan Yankovich
Gyan Yankovich