The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival has partied to a close, with
the 25th annual parade drawing a 250,000 people last night.
That is about half of the crowd claimed last year, but the organisers of
this years festival were pleased by the turnout after a year of financial
uncertainty.
From the Dykes on Bikes to the Sydney Village People and beyond, the 6,000
people on the 140 floats represented difference races, ages, sexualities
and political persuasions.
Anti-war and gay law reform were common themes, while the Sydney Gay
nudists group actually wore clothes.
Mardi Gras co-chair Michael Woodhouse says crowd estimates this year were
based on official police counts.
"This has been a resounding success for new Mardi Gras," he said.
"People said it couldn't happen, we have proved tonight that it absolutely
can."
http://abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-2mar2003-19.htm
