The sudden awareness of AIDS in the heterosexual community prompted calls for the Mardi Gras to be banned. Considerable pressure was placed on the Mardi Gras committee to cancel the parade. Show goes on A visit from US gay film historian Vito Russo highlight of the parade and Gay Film week. The Mardi Gras celebrates its 10th anniversary with estimates putting the crowd at 100,000. Support grows Estimated parade crowd 200,000.
Arts festival runs for two weeks.
Planning grows Post-party almost as popular as the parade and takes four months to plan. The Arts Festival runs for three weeks. Biggest turnout Parade became the biggest to ever be held in Australia. The Arts Festival became the largest Gay and Lesbian festival in the world and ran for four weeks. Full-time staff are employed to organise the event.