by Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network

Financial woes threaten to cancel the 25th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, one of the largest Gay Pride events in the world.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Friday that the event, held annually in March, has a $250,000 (U.S. $140,000) bank overdraft.

Julie Regan, president of the Mardi Gras, said the 2001 festival had a loss of about $534,000 (U.S. $300,000), which she blamed on increased insurance costs, which nearly doubled over the previous year's expense. Other factors included a drop in U.S. visitors after Sept. 11, and a 20 percent drop in box office receipts from the associated arts festival.

"We can't give any assurances that ... next year's Mardi Gras will go ahead until we know what our position is," Regan told the Morning Herald. "Long term, the organization is viable, but we have a cash flow problem."

Next March will mark the 25th anniversary of the Mardi Gras, which began as a civil rights march and has grown into a street festival with floats and thousands of costumed dancers. Hundreds of thousands of spectators watch the parade and participate in the various festivities.

The festival also generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue for businesses in Sydney.

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Tel Aviv Pride Held Under Intense Security
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Tel Aviv)  Tel Aviv did not let the threat of suicide bombers mar Pride celebrations Friday.  More than 500 city police, Border Police officers and civil guard volunteers kept a wary eye as an estimated 40,000 people watched the parade.

Hundreds of gays and lesbians made their way from Rabin Square through the streets to Yarkon Park, where a large party took place.

As the parade began, a member of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, called for civil rights protections for gays and lesbians.

Yosef Lapid, a member of the reform party Shinui  told the crowd that Israel would never be a liberal and free country until gays were given equal rights.

Tel Aviv is the most liberal city in Israel and boasts the country's largest gay community.

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The Party Begins
by Jack Siu
365Gay.com Newscenter in Toronto

(Toronto) Three days of Pride partying got underway Friday evening in Toronto.  The barricades went up and Church Street, the main drag in the city's gay village, was turned into a pedestrian mall.

Toronto celebrates Pride the last weekend of June each year, along with New York and San Francisco. Regina and Winnipeg have already had their festivities, and Montreal and Vancouver will have parades in August. 

Canada's biggest city, Toronto has the largest GLBT population in Canada, estimated at between 300,000 and 400,00 people according to gay city Councillor Kyle Rae.  Another 150,000 are believed to live in the bedroom communities which surround the city.

As piles of rotting garbage began to mount up in other parts of this city of 4 million, the result of a city workers strike that began earlier this week, the village was declared clean as a whistle, thanks to area businesses and a small army of volunteers.

The Toronto Pride Committee is responsible for keeping the area clean, a condition of the street closure.  One national food chain donated three large industrial dumpsters, and stores and businesses along Church Street have been  using private haulers to get rid of the trash.

Friday night's street party was kicked off by a live concert by Edmonton singer Ben Hart.  The three day weekend will feature three stages, one of them highlighting gay youth.  Also on tap, one of two balls for the leather community.

Saturday begins with the annual Pride & Remembrance Run, at 10 am, a fund raiser for AIDS groups.  Thousands of lesbians will hold the traditional Dyke March in the afternoon.  It is the largest women's event held in Canada.

In the evening, up to 5000 are expected to rave the night away at the Unity Ball at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds.  

But, the highlight is the Sunday parade which brings a million people to the streets. Another million are expected to watch on television across the country.  This year's parade will feature more than 100 floats.

Hotels throughout Toronto report they are solidly booked.  "Fears that 9-11 would keep a lot of American tourists from coming here have failed to materialize," said a reservations clerk at the Primrose Best Western.

Over the three days, 1.5 million people are expected to take part, making Pride the biggest single tourist event in Canada.

Australia's Gay Mardi Gras Pride Faces Bankruptcy
365Gay.com

by Peter Hacker

(Sydney) Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is facing bankruptcy with debts of more than a quarter million dollars (US).

President Julie Regan said the group had given itself until Sunday to balance its books. It is frantically trying to raise $140,000 (US) to cover a bank overdraft.

"There's been expressions of interests from people wanting to support us," Regan said.

She said that other arts festivals had also suffered a downturn in financial support and that Mardi Gras would likely be slimmed down next year, even if the money came through.

"If we can get this finance in place, we will be going forward," Regan said.

"The parade is certainly high profile, it still gets half a million people onto the street."

Regan said Mardi Gras income had dropped from $3 million to $2.2 million (US) during the last year by a range of factors. One of those was insurance which tripled in price in the aftermath of 9-11. Advertising and sponsorship support was also down she said.

A spokesman for New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said the state already subsidised the Mardi Gras's office rent by $205,000 over a four-year lease and last year's policing and transport fees of $350,000 were waived.

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