SYDNEY – Membership of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras voted to remove two board directors during a volatile extraordinary general meeting on July 4, 2026.
The removal of Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen follows months of internal conflict between the activist group Pride in Protest and the opposing faction, Protect Mardi Gras, over the organization’s strategic direction and governance.
Tensions peaked Saturday morning at the Harold Holt Community Centre, where members engaged in swearing and jeering. The instability resulted in the removal of two hecklers from the premises before the final vote was tallied.
Board Composition, Governance and Voting Outcomes
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras operates as a not‑for‑profit company limited by guarantee under Australia’s Corporations Act, with directors elected and removed by members under the organisation’s constitution. Saturday’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was called under those rules after rival factions sought to reshape the board ahead of planning for the 2027 season.
The meeting was originally called by Pride in Protest to eliminate two directors associated with Protect Mardi Gras. In a counter-move, other members moved to remove the directors representing Pride in Protest.
The final membership vote resulted in the following:
- Removed: Luna Choo and Damien Nguyen (Pride in Protest)
- Retained: Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich (Protect Mardi Gras)
The outcome follows a period of board-level instability where co-chairs and activists attempted to censure one another, and raises questions about how the festival will manage internal disputes while negotiating sponsorships, policing arrangements and government support for one of Australia’s largest annual public events.
The Dispute Over Transgender Rights
The divide between the two factions centers on how the organization should promote transgender rights and the broader political character of the parade. While both groups state they support LGBTQ+ rights, they diverge on the methods of implementation and how explicitly the event should endorse particular campaigns.
In November 2025, members passed a resolution encouraging all parade participants to make support for transgender rights a “key part of their float.”
The board declined to implement the resolution, stating that the move “sought to impose creative direction on parade participants in a way that is inconsistent with our established application process” and could undermine the long-standing practice of allowing community groups, corporate sponsors and public institutions to design their own entries.
Pride in Protest characterized the board’s decision as transphobic and as an abdication of the organisation’s historic role in confronting anti-trans policies at state and federal level. On July 4, 2026, a revised motion was put to the membership. The version proposed by Protect Mardi Gras, which omitted the specific float recommendation and instead affirmed general support for transgender rights, was passed by the majority, while the Pride in Protest resolution was dismissed.
February Parade Conflict
The current leadership struggle is preceded by a significant clash during the February 2026 parade.
Less than 24 hours before the event, the Pride in Protest float was expelled from the parade. This action followed claims by the activists that a Jewish float supported genocide, prompting complaints from community groups already concerned about rising tensions over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Organizational officials stated that the activists failed to respond to a formal warning issued the day prior to the expulsion and argued that the removal was necessary to uphold the parade’s code of conduct and public safety obligations agreed with police and the City of Sydney.
Factional and Member Reactions
Following the vote, both factions framed the result as pivotal for the future character of one of the world’s most prominent LGBTQ+ festivals, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to Sydney each year and is promoted internationally as part of the city’s visitor economy through agencies such as Destination NSW.
Damien Nguyen described the result of the meeting as “a clear development in the fight for transgender rights, both in this state and in Mardi Gras.”
Luna Choo distinguished between the organization’s formal administration and its grassroots presence, stating:
“There is the Mardi Gras membership that we would see in general meetings, and then there is Mardi Gras on the streets, where people take to the streets and continue their proud tradition of fighting for our equal rights … and that will continue forward.”
Peter Stahel, a co-founder of Protect Mardi Gras, argued that the removal of the directors was a vote for inclusion and broad alliances.
“Pride in Protest has got a long history of meeting motions to ban councillors, ban politicians, ban military, ban the police, and we think that weakens us,” Stahel said, contending that a more expansive coalition is needed to secure permits, funding and institutional backing for future parades.
Andrew Nissen, a member since 2021 not affiliated with either faction, said some motions carried a “danger of fracturing the community and splintering us.” He described the EGM as “combative but decisive,” adding that many members were motivated primarily by a desire for stability.
In an official statement, the Mardi Gras board acknowledged that the debate indicated a “need for change within the organisation, regardless of the result of any individual resolution.”
The board stated it will treat the meeting’s outcome as a mandate to strengthen governance and trust with its members, including a review of how political motions are handled and how future board disputes are communicated to the wider community.
