Ben Graetz, creative director – First Nations of Sydney World Pride, and proud Iwaidja, Malak Malak and Torres Strait Islander man, speaks about putting Indigenous people front and centre of this month's conversations and celebrations.
Growing up as a little gay boy in Darwin, there wasn't a lot of visibility, particularly on television. I always knew I was different and I always knew there was something. I really connected with the arts. Being creative gave me an opportunity to leave Darwin and train in Western Australia and in Sydney, which opened my eyes up to the queer community. I'll never forget my first moment on Oxford Street, seeing myself represented as a queer person for the first time. Feeling a sense of home and belonging.
That's something we talk about with March Gras; you always remember your first Mardi Gras. My first, I went with all the students from NIDA and had an absolute ball. I was just this young, naive 18-year-old from Darwin, and just being very shy and protected and in the closet – I wasn't out straight away. So there was a journey around that. But Sydney definitely allowed me to be myself and I felt a sense of belonging, which was really special. We say that Mardi Gras not only changes lives, it saves lives. And I really believe that.
Sydney WorldPride is a start-up organisation that is set up to deliver this event and then it will dissolve after the event. So we wanted to make sure that the focus and the voice of First Nations people was really front and centre. At the time, it was just myself and Ebony Williams, who is our First Nations Engagement Manager, who were the only First Nations staff, and a First Nations creative consultant, Dr Liza-Mare Syron, but that was it. Because
