Sunrise Service At Sydney’s Bondi Memorial To Remember Lives Lost To Anti-LGBT Violence
Included as part of the Mardi Gras Festival this February will be a sunrise service at the Bondi Memorial dedicated to the victims and survivors of homophobic and transphobic violence in Sydney and New South Wales from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Presented by Bronte Surf Club, ACON, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and Waverley Council, the Marks Park Sunrise Service of Reflection will commemorate the past, reflect on the present, and look towards a future free from bigotry and prejudice.
Scheduled from 6:15 am to 7 am on Saturday 24 February in Marks Park, the free-to-attend event will be guided by the principles of remembrance, diversity, inclusion, justice, and acceptance, says co-organiser Ivan Power from the Bronte Surf Club.
“Not so many years ago, a spectre of fear and intolerance across this community and many others bred feelings of hatred towards LGBTIQ people,” explains Power. “This manifested itself not only in horrific acts of violence and brutality at Marks Park and many other places across Sydney but in the appalling response to this violence by our institutions and our community.
“We will gather at dawn to commemorate the suffering of people in our community and elsewhere, to celebrate the immense progress we have made together towards a society led with respect, hope and love.”
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, Justice John Sackar, who led the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes in NSW, and ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill AM will speak at the event.
“Open to all, whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ communities or an ally, the Marks Park Sunrise Service of Reflection offers an opportunity to connect, reflect on the past, and unite in our hope for a more just and equitable future,” says Parkhill.
Marks Park Sunrise Service of Reflection
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 6:15 am – 7 am
Where: Meet at the Rise Memorial, Marks Park, Tamarama
For more information visit bondimemorial.com.au.
