An estimated 120,000 people descended on Birrarung Marr yesterday for Midsumma Carnival, the free opening event of Melbourne’s annual queer arts and cultural festival, setting an attendance record.
In addition to the $16,000 donated by Tourism Victoria last November, Liberal Member for Prahran Clem Newton-Brown announced that the Victorian government would donate an additional $20,000 to this year’s Midsumma through Arts Victoria. ”While it’s a niche event it’s also a massive festival,” he said. ”It’s a big deal for Melbourne and it’s appropriate that the government supports it.”
Newton-Brown and Tourism Minister and acting Minister for the Arts Louise Asher were among the officials who gave welcome speeches at Carnival. ”It’s a very, very good event for Melbourne obviously,” Asher told The Age. ”I’m delighted to be here to add government support to a major event on the Melbourne calendar.
Speaking on behalf of the City of Melbourne, Councillor Jennifer Kanis addressed the crowd holding her four-month-old baby. ”I hope this little one remembers his first Midsumma for the rest of his life,” she said, praising the festival for representing ”all that is fantastic about queer culture”.
Apart from yesterday’s opening event, Midsumma CEO Adam Lowe singled out panel discussion After Homosexual: The Legacies of Liberation, as a festival highlight. Hosted by Helen Razer, the panel included Australian writer and academic Dennis Altman and leading UK gay historian Jeffrey Weeks discussing the impact of Altman’s landmark book Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation, 40 years after its publication.
”It’s a great time to look back at how far we’ve come and where we still need to go,” said Lowe. ”Midsumma grew out of a need for demonstration. Over 24 years now it’s become an affirmation. Midsumma is a celebration of queer culture, but it’s an affirmation of how much value we as a community contribute to the mainstream community in dollars, in creativity and in human value.”
Two stages at Carnival showcased everything from drag and burlesque performers to the ever-popular Dulcie’s Dog Show, with prizes including cutest bitch, sexiest ”boy” dog, best owner and dog combo and biggest tail. First time Carnival attendee Jonathan Doherty hoped his Jack Russell, Bulley, would take out cutest dog. So did Bulley undergo any extra grooming in preparation? ”Oh, god no, I took enough time getting myself ready,” said Doherty. ”It’s great that I can wear my makeup here and feel totally normal and accepted,” he said.
Other attractions included stalls hosted by Gay and Lesbian Tourism Australia and Italian Australian LBGTIQ (Lesbian Bisexual Gay Transgender Intersex Questioning) women, among many others, and a youth stage for under-18-year-olds. The annual end-of-carnival dance party, T Dance, kicked off at 5pm and included a performance from Ricki-Lee.
