Sydney Mardi Gras members are being reminded that proxy nominations for the upcoming Mardi Gras EGM close today.
This Saturday, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will host an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) where there are seven motions for members to vote on.
The EGM comes after a Pride in Protest (PiP) petition which, according to Mardi Gras, 246 members signed.
The petition followed months of campaigning by PiP who cited concerns over trans rights and board diligence among their reasons for an EGM.
The EGM will be held on Saturday in Forest Lodge, with members able to participate in the meeting either in person, via Zoom or through the appointment of a proxy.
To attend in-person or online, members are required to RSVP via the Vero Voting platform and select either ‘in-person’ or ‘online’.
For members who are able to vote but unable to attend the meeting, they can submit a proxy so their vote can still be counted.
A proxy may be submitted online through a unique link sent out to members, which closes this afternoon at 5pm.
Among the motions that will be voted on at the EGM, four of them concern the removal of four board members.
Two motions call for the removal of Mardi Gras co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich while another two motions call for the removal of PiP-aligned directors Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen.
All four directors have put forward their case to members as per the Corporations Act, and those statements in full are available online.
Delisle and Pavlich made a joint statement where they confirmed their support for trans rights, which has been at the centre of the campaign against them.
“The Board unequivocally supports the rights of trans and gender-diverse people and recognises their vital role within our community and movement,” they said.
They also provided additional context to many of the claims made against them in the course of the PiP campaign.
“The Board has never described support for trans inclusion as intimidation. However, we have raised concerns about conduct that affected the wellbeing and safety of staff and volunteers, including personal attacks, defamatory statements and online targeting,” they said.
They said that any actions relating to Choo and Nguyen arose from governance issues, not their support for trans rights, as they once again apologised for misgendering Choo.
“Misgendering is never acceptable. Luna Choo was incorrectly gendered once in an internal Board document. We apologised both privately and publicly at the time and do so again. It was a single, unintended error that was promptly corrected.”
They finish off by acknowledging the disappointment over the After Party, as they call on people to vote for a stronger Mardi Gras.
“Many members who support Pride in Protest share the same goal that we do: a stronger, more inclusive Mardi Gras,” they said.
“This EGM is about the future direction of Mardi Gras. We ask members to consider the facts, assess our record of service, and decide what is in the best interests of the organisation and the community it serves.”
Choo and Nguyen both wrote their own individual statements, with Nguyen calling the motion “a distraction from the true problems.”
“This is a boring motion asking you to silence the diversity of community voices in Sydney Mardi Gras,” he said.
“This motion to remove myself (and the motion to remove Mardi Gras’ only transgender director, Luna Choo) is a distraction from the true problems. What are the problems? Corporate funding is dwindling, an anti-gay and anti-trans movement is attacking us one by one, and the current leadership is directionless.”
Choo meanwhile called on Mardi Gras members to stand up to politicians who “are escalating their attacks on trans people.”
“More than ever before, we need a powerful, community-led Mardi Gras to challenge bigoted politicians that deny us our EQUALITY WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS,” she said.
Choo went on to say that Mardi Gras members voted to embrace trans rights, and her removal as the only trans director would send a clear message.
“Removing me from the Board will send a final signal that trans participation is unwelcome, that our increasingly anti-trans status quo is fine, and that standing strong and publicly against attacks on trans rights RIGHT NOW is not Mardi Gras business.”
More on this story
Previously: Pride in Protest Alleges Voting Rights Interference in Mardi Gras EGM Lead-Up
Read next: Pride in Protest directors removed from Mardi Gras board
All our Mardi Gras board dispute coverage
