Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here to get the next edition.
We really are a community that knows how to hold joy, defiance and grief in the same breath, aren’t we?
This week, we celebrate the extraordinary life of Maxi Shield — a drag icon whose wit, warmth and unwavering presence helped shape Oxford Street and queer nightlife and entertainment as we know it. We look ahead to the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, that glittering ribbon of resistance and revelry that transforms Oxford Street into something electric – and this year, we’re celebrating for Maxi.
We also report on the stories that remind us why Pride is never just a party: anti-trans activism testing the legal boundaries of public discourse, gay and bisexual teen boys facing brutal violence, and corporations backing away from queer events the moment life gets tough.
Our lives are expansive and nuanced, and they contain grief and glamour, outrage and ecstasy. Every single part of it deserves to be seen and told. We’re here to do it all, and do it with pride.
Happy Mardi Gras all – and make sure you forward our newsletter on to friends you think might love it!
TOP STORY
A Tidal Wave Of Tributes For Drag Legend Maxi Shield
“An icon and pillar of our community.”
“Gone too soon — absolutely. But legends like Maxi never really leave us.”
“This Mardi Gras is for her.”
The drag community and the wider Australian LGBTQIA+ community have come out in force to pay tribute for Sydney drag legend Maxi Shield, who passed away at the age of 51 after a fight with cancer.
by Patrick Lenton
PRESENTED BY WAVERLEY COUNCIL
GLAMARAMA
Join us for an all-inclusive, beachside celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community. The morning after Sydney's famous Mardi Gras parade, we're turning Tamarama Beach into a rainbow chill zone with the iconic DJ Charlie Villas bringing the beats.
OPINION
Corporations Who’ve Pulled Out of Pride Events Because of Trump Are, Above All, Cowards
For years, multinational brands have treated Pride events like a shiny seasonal campaign. They’ve happily soaked up the pink dollar, the glitter, the community belonging, the pride in our identities — all of it.
But the moment Trump’s second term started swinging hard at DEI policies, some of those same companies suddenly found their spines had gone AWOL. From Australia’s Mardi Gras to various international Pride events, queer events have been haemorrhaging sponsors.
It’s an act of pure cowardice; wetting their pants because of a tyrant. And I hope they realise the LGBTQIA+ community has long, long memories.
by Chloe Sargeant
PRIDE GUIDE
The Glittering Icon Of The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade
It all starts with a “vrrooOOOMMMM”. A chorus of over a hundred motorcycle engines call Sydney to attention. Eager, glitter-faced crowds peer over barricades, waiting in gleefully queer anticipation. The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is this weekend – are you ready?
by Jacques Nieuwoudt
PRESENTED BY NEIL GOODING PRODUCTIONS
AFTERGLOW
A provocative, intimate play where desire, honesty and modern love collide. After critical success Off-Broadway and around the globe, this exploration of desire, honesty, and connection is about to hit Sydney.
Kris Bee Bacon offers Australian queer fashion fusing playful pop energy with provocative design and sexuality.
NATIONAL
Anti-Trans Activist Wins Legal Battle After “Menacing” VIC School Teacher Online
An anti-trans activist and Sydney-based member of the US-founded group Gays Against Groomers has won a legal fight against the eSafety watchdog, over a post attacking a Melbourne primary school teacher. And all because this teacher had created a safe, age-appropriate queer club for their students.
by Patrick Lenton
SYDNEY PRIDE GUIDE
2026 FESTIVAL EDITION
Your go-to companion for the 2026 Pride season across NSW. Theatre, dance, comedy, ballroom events, art exhibitions, history walks, galas, fairs and markets - and that's just touching the surface. Happy Pride season, Sydney!
An intimate space, where you can relax in a cosy booth surrounded by an oasis of colourful kitsch.
A lavish and brave seduction of twisted spectacle, from the creators of Blanc de Blanc and LIMBO!
NSW
Gay & Bi Sydney Teens Have Been Bashed In Terrorist-Inspired Attacks
A two-year ABC investigation into the reawakening of the IS terrorist network has found confronting evidence of a spree of young gay and bisexual Sydney men being lured via dating apps and viciously bashed, with cases stretching back to 2023.
by Patrick Lenton
