Sydney Mardi Gras bans Tasmanian gay vacation material

Officials of Sydney’s LGBT Mardi Gras extravaganza banned Tourism Tasmania from Mardi Gras’ Fair Day because it planned to promote Tasmania as a gay-friendly holiday destination.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group activist Rodney Croome said Mardi Gras “interpreted its sponsorship contract with Events NSW (New South Wales) to preclude the promotion of any other state as a tourist destination at any Mardi Gras event.”

“Whether a ban is motivated by hate or, in the case of the Mardi Gras, by money, censorship is censorship and should be resisted,” Croome said. “Mardi Gras seems blind to the fact that the cost of exclusive contracts in terms of community ill-will far outweighs whatever short-term financial benefit they may have.”

Gay-owned Tasmanian travel operators, who usually promote themselves from Tourism Tasmania’s stall, reportedly were given refuge by other stallholders but still were prohibited from distributing material promoting Tasmania as a state.

Fair Day, held Feb. 21 this year, is a huge festival of exhibits, information, food, booze, entertainment, contests, music, dancing and other merrymaking.