Parade revelers at the 2014 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (Photo: complexmania.com) Hanoi (VNA) - The first-ever Hanoi Mardi Gras Festival, which aims tohighlight and celebrate the city’s LGBT community, will hold its main celebrationon March 24 at the Australian Embassy.
TheAustralian Embassy in Vietnam has officially announced a series ofevents aiming to bring the spirit of the famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian MardiGras Festival to Hanoi.
To startthe event, candidates living in Vietnam are invited to take part in twocompetitions – Road to Mardi Gras, an online story-telling contestand Colours of Mardi Gras, a costume contest for members of LGBTcommunities in Vietnam. The contests have been running from February 18 toMarch 24.
Two luckyentrants will win tickets to the 2018 Sydney Mardi Gras Festival. The beststories and costumes will be on display at the main event.
The March24 main celebration will be a feast for the senses as well as the storyexhibition and fashion show. The event will showcase memorable moments of the2017 Sydney Mardi Gras Festival, with lively musical performances by bothVietnamese and Australian artists.
“Promotinggender equality is a top priority for both the Vietnamese and Australian governments,and we are proud to support Vietnam’s efforts, including through ourdevelopment cooperation programme here. Through this event, we hope to bringthe spirit of Sydney’s famous Mardi Gras to Vietnam, helping to raise awarenessabout the rights of LGBT people,” said Craig Chittick, Australian Ambassador toVietnam.
“This isa wonderful opportunity for my organisation and other NGOs to cooperate withthe Australian Embassy on gender equality. Hanoi Mardi Gras Festival is notsimply a fun celebration but also a very meaningful event of diversity andself-expression for the LGBT community,” said Vu Kieu Oanh, founder of LGBTCommunity Development Center 6 and a representative of LGBT community inVietnam.
Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a famous and well-loved annualcelebration of LGBT communities across the globe. Since its founding in 1978,it has achieved an iconic status as a statement of pride and a platform topromote the broad message of diversity and acceptance. With this year’s themeof “Creating Equality”, the Mardi Gras promises to not only bring colourful and dazzling performances but also promotea world where everyone is treated fairly regardless of their sexuality, genderidentity, race, belief, age, ability and social status.-VNA
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