Anthony Albanese to be the first prime minister to march in Mardi Gras as NRL is barred from parade

Anthony Albanese will be the first sitting Prime Minister to march in Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras when he joins the parade for the WorldPride festival.

The Prime Minister says he will be joined by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the first openly gay woman in parliament, when he takes part in the event on February 25.

Mr Albanese announced the news to a crowd gathered for the official opening of Pride Square at Newtown, in Sydney’s inner-west. 

‘I’ll be the first Prime Minister not to watch the march on Mardi Gras, but to march,’ he said on Saturday.

Mr Albanese’s appearance will come as the annual gay pride parade snubs the NRL for the first time in seven years after seven Manly Sea Eagles refused to wear the pride jersey at a match last year. 

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) will be the first sitting prime minister to march in Mardi Gras

Mr Albanese said he will be joined by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the first openly gay woman in parliament, at Mardi Gras (pictured, Sydney Mardi Gras in 2018)

In 2016, Malcolm Turnbull became the first sitting Prime Minister to attend the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but he did not march in the parade.

That year, then opposition leader Bill Shorten became the first federal leader of a major party to participate in the march.

Mr Albanese said his government was committed to removing inequality on the basis of sexuality or people’s identities.

‘We speak a lot about tolerance – and tolerance is really important – but this is about a step that is way more important than tolerance,’ he said.

‘We need to celebrate our diversity, not just tolerate it, because our diversity is what gives our society strength.’

Mr Albanese paid tribute to protesters who marched for gay rights in 1978, many of whom were arrested when the first parade on Sydney’s Oxford St was dispersed.

Since then, the annual Sydney march has grown to become part of one of the largest LGBTQI festivals in the world.

This year, 12,500 marchers are expected to participate as the parade is incorporated into the 17-day WorldPride festival. 

This year, 12,500 marchers are expected to participate in the Mardi Gras parade (pictured, Mardi Gras 2018)

The NRL will be excluded from Mardi Gras this year following controversy over the Sydney Roosters’ pride jerseys (above)

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Mr Albanese said Australia could be ‘a beacon for the world’, where everyone would be respected and celebrated regardless of their beliefs, sexuality or ethnicity.

Meanwhile, the NRL will be excluded from the event for the first time in seven years.

The footy board was rejected by organisers in September, just weeks after seven Manly Sea Eagles refused to play a game against the Sydney Roosters after the club decided it would sport rainbow-coloured pride jerseys.

However, organisers of Mardi Gras said the incident had nothing to do with NRL’s rejection, instead the event was already at capacity.