You have to restrain yourself, be judicious. You're very conscious of the responsibility. It's a minefield, really. It began with volunteers but now maintains a balance between volunteers and professional staff. What was initially only a parade has expanded to include two major parties and a month-long arts festival.
Corporate sponsorship provides from eight to ten per cent of the budget.
As with every other major commercial event, legal issues are pervasive, intellectual property, trade practices and corporations law matters especially. McLachlan said he steers well clear of issues outside his area of expertise. We engage a number of lawyers to provide advice. While the enhanced stature of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and its growing acceptance by the wider community seems to suggest greater tolerance of homosexuality, McLachlan and other Board members warn against the dangers of complacency, of thinking that the struggle for gay rights has been won. The high visibility of Mardi Gras is particularly important to youths who feel isolated and vulnerable in small towns and the outer suburbs.