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110-608: Australian fancy dress parties typically follow the style of the United States, and Halloween costume parties have been common since the early 1990s, even though Halloween has not historically been a celebrated event in Australia. Typical events for Australians that involve dressing up are the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras , the staff Christmas party and cricket matches. One of the oldest examples of fancy dress being worn in Australia

220-533: A "mix" of or of "vague" Germanic Northwestern European heritages. Historically, the early Anglo-Protestant settlers in the seventeenth century were the most successful group, culturally, economically, and politically, and they maintained their dominance until the late twentieth century at the earliest. Numbers of the most wealthy and affluent American families , such as Boston Brahmin , First Families of Virginia , Old Philadelphians , Tidewater , and Lowcountry gentry or old money , were WASPs. Commitment to

330-501: A 2014 study by the Pew Research Center , Episcopalians ranked as the third wealthiest religious group in the United States, with 35% of Episcopalians living in households with incomes of at least $ 100,000. Presbyterians ranked as the fourth most financially successful religious group in the United States, with 32% of Presbyterians living in households with incomes of at least $ 100,000. The Boston Brahmins , who were regarded as

440-680: A Feather, love together' – the infinite love Nest". In 2015, some members of the LGBTIQ community argued that the Mardi Gras perpetuates gay stereotypes and excludes other members of the LGBTIQ community. In 2020, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was held just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia . NSW Health advised there was no evidence of community transmission of the virus at that time. British singer Dua Lipa debuted her single Physical at

550-496: A Tuesday at all. In recent years, the Mardi Gras Parade has been on the first Saturday of March, with a festival of events going for approximately three weeks preceding it. The parade running order for 4 March 2017. The post parade party is one of the largest ongoing party events in the country. Mardi Gras Party attendances at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion / Royal Hall of Industries peaked in 1998 with 27,000 tickets sold. In

660-667: A WASP, in his 1964 book The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy and Caste in America . Baltzell stressed the closed or caste-like characteristic of the group by arguing that "There is a crisis in American leadership in the middle of the twentieth century that is partly due, I think, to the declining authority of an establishment which is now based on an increasingly castelike White-Anglo Saxon-Protestant (WASP) upper class." Citing Gallup polling data from 1976, Kit and Frederica Konolige wrote in their 1978 book The Power of Their Glory , "As befits

770-467: A bid to host WorldPride 2023 competing against Montreal , Canada and Houston , Texas . InterPride chose Sydney, Australia to host WorldPride 2023 at their Athens October 2019 Annual General Meeting of three hundred delegate organizations, the first time WorldPride was held in the Southern Hemisphere or Asia Pacific region. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras

880-726: A church that belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion , Episcopalianism has the United Kingdom to thank for the ancestors of fully 49 percent of its members. ... The stereotype of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) finds its fullest expression in the Episcopal Church." WASP is also used in Australia and Canada for similar elites. WASPs traditionally have been associated with Episcopal (or Anglican ), Presbyterian , United Methodist , Congregationalist , and other mainline Protestant denominations; however,

990-513: A community group, topical theme or political message. Parade entrants include members of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays , the Australian Defence Force , Amnesty International Australia , Australian Marriage Equality , City of Sydney , Fire & Rescue New South Wales , Taronga Conservation Society and DNA among many others. Each parade starts with approximately 200 Dykes on Bikes riding up Oxford Street. It

1100-577: A costume party instead. Costume parties are also popular during the carnival season, such as at Mardi Gras . Attendees occasionally dress in costume for popular science fiction and fantasy events, movie openings and book releases. Web site theonering.net held a The Lord of the Rings dress Oscar party that was attended by Peter Jackson . Star Wars parties were held to celebrate the opening of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace . Many bookstores have held Harry Potter themed parties to celebrate

1210-503: A different theme encouraging riders to come in costume. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras is an event in Sydney , New South Wales attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas. One of the largest LGBT festivals in the world , Mardi Gras is the largest Pride event in Oceania . It includes

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1320-576: A focus on romance. While the middle and upper classes shifted their Halloween celebrations toward these new actives, including costume parties, the poor and immigrant populations of the United States continued to celebrate in the ways that they always had, demonstrating the effect that class differences had on costume parties during this time. Costume parties are especially popular in the United States around Halloween , when teenagers and adults who may be considered too old for trick-or-treating attend

1430-706: A joint birthday party with a pre- French Revolution courtly theme. In late nineteenth century New York, costume parties were popular amongst the affluent. Costumes were typically historical European aristocracy. Authenticity was important, even extending to using actual period elements. For example, Cornelia Bradley-Martin attended her own party, the notorious Bradley-Martin Ball , dressed as Marie Antoinette , wearing jewellery actually owned and worn by Antoinette herself. The choice of aristocratic costume allowed rich Americans, with relatively limited family history, to assume some element of history and legitimacy. This coincides with

1540-464: A small group of people who were part of the 1978 events contributed to planning the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Mardi Gras parade in 1998. This group became known as the 78ers and has led each year's Mardi Gras parade since 1998. The 2001 Parade was broadcast on Network Ten and had a theme of gay and lesbian parenting. The 2002 event saw a loss of A$ 400,000. In August

1650-631: A style of understated quiet leadership. A common practice of WASP families is presenting their daughters of marriageable age (traditionally at the age of 17 or 18 years old) at a débutante ball , such as the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. America's social elite was a small, closed group. The leadership was well-known to the readers of newspaper society pages, but in larger cities it

1760-511: A variety of events such as the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Bondi Beach Drag Races, Harbour Party, the academic discussion panel Queer Thinking , Mardi Gras Film Festival , as well as Fair Day, which attracts 70,000 people to Victoria Park, Sydney . The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of Australia's biggest tourist drawcards , with the parade and dance party attracting many international and domestic tourists. It

1870-459: Is New South Wales' second-largest annual event in terms of economic impact, generating an annual income of about A$ 30 million for the state. The event grew from gay rights parades held annually since 1978, when numerous participants had been arrested by New South Wales Police Force . The Mardi Gras Parade maintains a political flavour, with many marching groups and floats promoting LGBTQIA+ rights issues or themes. Reflecting changes since

1980-512: Is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ history and culture. The term Mardi Gras derives from the celebration on Mardi ( French for " Tuesday ") when Gras (French for "fat") is eaten prior to the Christian abstinence period of Lent preceding Easter . On 24 June 1978 at 10 pm as a night-time celebration following a morning protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall riots organised by

2090-422: Is extensively covered by the media. In 2011, it was broadcast on radio by Joy 94.9 FM Melbourne and 2SER 107.3 FM Sydney. The Parade was also shown live on Foxtel 's Arena in its entirety. The Arena broadcast was presented by hosts Louie Spence of Pineapple Dance Studios , Charlotte Dawson , Ruby Rose and Matthew Mitcham. The Parade was also broadcast on radio live by various community radio stations, via

2200-474: Is often accompanied by fireworks displays, which are launched from the rooftops of buildings along the parade route. Approximately 300,000 spectators watch the Parade as it snakes 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) from the Sydney central business district to Darlinghurst . The parade travels along Oxford Street before turning into Flinders Street and finally into the bus lane that runs parallel to Anzac Parade – to

2310-535: Is on display at the Western Australia Museum . It was a child's fancy dress costume worn by Rita Lloyd, aged nine, to the ‘Lord Mayor’s Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball’ at Mansion House in Perth on 8 January 1909. It is a tradition to have a costume party at a university graduation. The origins of fancy dress parties in the United Kingdom can in some respects be traced to masked balls of the 18th century period. In

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2420-687: The 2nd World Science Fiction Convention (1940) in Chicago, masquerade balls were a traditional feature of the convention. Fan conventions , often abbreviated to "cons", of various descriptions have followed the example of the Worldcons with many attendees wearing costumes representing fictional characters. Some conventions feature costume competitions and other scheduled costuming events. Several well-known conventions that feature costuming include San Diego Comic-Con , New York Comic Con , and Atlanta's Dragon Con . Cosplay (a blend of "costume" and "play" via

2530-556: The British Isles ; less exacting analysts are willing to throw in Scandinavians, Netherlanders and Germans." The sociologist Charles H. Anderson writes, "Scandinavians are second-class WASPs" but know it is "better to be a second-class WASP than a non-WASP". Sociologists William Thompson and Joseph Hickey described the further expansion of the term's meaning: The term WASP has many meanings. In sociology it reflects that segment of

2640-475: The CBAA 's Community Radio Network satellite. In 2012, Optus , a corporate sponsor, broadcast a delayed and edited highlights of the parade via www.mardigrastv.org.au. In 2014, SBS TV broadcast delayed and edited coverage of the parade highlights, hosted by Tom Ballard , Patrick Abboud and Heather Peace . Despite its name, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is not held on Mardi Gras ( Shrove Tuesday ) or indeed, on

2750-713: The Great Gorilla Run , where 1,000 people dressed as gorillas in London in aid for Great Gorillas , a charity that focuses on the endangered species . Some costume parties are themed around 80s fashion . The most popular costumes researched for such fancy dress are the Madonna Look, punk fashion and neon-colored clothing. Some of the easiest and cheapest 1980s costumes include Rambo , Samantha Fox , and Tom Cruise from Risky Business or Top Gun . Alternative eighties costumes include dresses, prom dresses and denim from

2860-576: The Ivy League , the Little Ivies , and the Seven Sisters colleges are particularly intertwined with the culture. Until roughly World War II, Ivy League universities were composed largely of white Protestants. While admission to these schools is generally based upon merit, many of these universities give a legacy preference for the children of alumni in order to link elite families (and their wealth) with

2970-562: The State Library of New South Wales hold an extensive collections of material related to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, including oral history interviews, organisational records, personal papers, posters, clippings, and photographs. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival culminates in the renowned Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, an LGBTQIA+ rights protest and celebration of sexuality. The parade features more than 12,500 entrants in colourful costumes and elaborate floats, who represent

3080-535: The United States , White Anglo-Saxon Protestants or Wealthy Anglo-Saxon Protestants ( WASP ) is a sociological term which is often used to describe white Protestant Americans of British descent (sometimes more broadly of Northwestern European descent), who are generally part of the white dominant culture or upper-class and historically often the Mainline Protestant elite . Historically or most consistently, WASPs are of British descent , though

3190-570: The Uniting Church in Australia , leads a prayer for rain on the event. In January 2008 Robert Forsyth , the Anglican bishop of South Sydney, condemned Corpus Christi for opening the Mardi Gras because it depicted Judas seducing a gay Jesus as well as Jesus' administration of gay marriage between two apostles . Director Leigh Rowney accepted that it would generate discussion on Homosexuality and Christianity and stated: "I wanted this play in

3300-526: The Upper East Side in Manhattan has been dominated by wealthy White Anglo-Saxon Protestant families. David Brooks , a columnist for The New York Times who attended an Episcopal prep school, writes that WASPs took pride in "good posture, genteel manners, personal hygiene, pointless discipline, the ability to sit still for long periods of time." According to the essayist Joseph Epstein , WASPs developed

3410-572: The mainline Protestant denominations of Christianity , chiefly the Presbyterian , Episcopalian , and Congregationalist traditions. Citing Gallup polling data from 1976, Kit and Frederica Konolige wrote in their 1978 book The Power of Their Glory , "As befits a church that belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion , Episcopalianism has the United Kingdom to thank for the ancestors of fully 49 percent of its members. ... The stereotype of

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3520-589: The 1960s, the group continues to play a central role in American finance, politics, and philanthropy . WASP is also used for similar elites in Australia , New Zealand , and Canada . The 1998 Random House Unabridged Dictionary says the term is "sometimes disparaging and offensive". Anglo-Saxon refers to people of English ancestry ; however, some sociologists and commentators use WASP more broadly to include all White Protestant Americans of Northwestern European and Northern European ancestry. In

3630-468: The 1980s, brands such as Lacoste and Ralph Lauren and their logos became associated with the preppy fashion style which was associated with WASP culture. The term WASP became associated with an upper class in the United States due to over-representation of WASPs in the upper echelons of society. Until the mid–20th century, industries such as banks, insurance, railroads, utilities, and manufacturing were dominated by WASPs. The Founding Fathers of

3740-523: The 1984 event appeared in the music video for the Cold Chisel song " Saturday Night " . In 1987, an estimated 100,000 people came to watch the parade. The mid-1980s saw considerable pressure placed to the Mardi Gras Committee following media controversy regarding AIDS. Despite calls for the parade and the party to be banned, the 1985 parade went ahead with the theme Fighting for Our Lives . In 1988

3850-412: The 2010 season in which the Mardi Gras Parade and Party were held on separate dates for the first time in history. During the rebranding in 2011, Mardi Gras Chairman Peter Urmson said "I think that whilst we are first and foremost a GLBTQI community organisation, we also are very open to all of our friends that do not necessarily identify within that alphabet soup." Many community members were offended by

3960-466: The 2012 Parade, on 134 floats. In 2011 Mardi Gras came under fire from LGBTQIA+ communities for removing the words "Gay and Lesbian" from the festival's name. The organisation's board confessed that they did not adequately consult the community in such an important decision. The organisation was also criticised for focusing on the requests of corporate sponsors, and allowing their floats rather than maintaining its original sense of identity. This followed

4070-592: The 20th century was the Chelsea Arts Club ball. Such events were often elaborate affairs and for the most part confined to those with considerable means. Amongst the general population, costume parties also occurred with increasing frequency from the late 1940s onward; for the most part the costumes were simple affairs until the mid-1970s. Prior to the late 1990s, most costumes were either hired or constructed at home. Although 'accessory' items had been available for some time, retail purchased costumes are, in respect of

4180-502: The 50th Anniversary of the first Australian Gay Pride Week, 45th Anniversary of the first Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and 5th Anniversary of Marriage Equality in Australia . According to the bid document the stated objective of WorldPride Sydney 2023 is to celebrate the diversity of culture and identity in the Asia Pacific region, while shining a light on widespread human rights abuses. White Anglo-Saxon Protestants In

4290-544: The African-American newspaper The New York Amsterdam News in 1948, when author Stetson Kennedy wrote: In America, we find the WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) ganging up to take their frustrations out on whatever minority group happens to be handy — whether Negro, Catholic, Jewish, Japanese or whatnot. The term was later popularized by sociologist and University of Pennsylvania professor E. Digby Baltzell , himself

4400-552: The Celts believed that on 31 October the line between the living and the dead became distorted, condemned souls would come back to wreak havoc for the night. In defense, the Celts would dress up in ghoulish costumes to scare evil spirits away. Within many fancy dress events, a theme is usually present, and with fancy dress outfits often from Hollywood films such as Star Wars , Grease , James Bond , and Spider-Man . Themes are also extremely popular with fundraising events, such as

4510-727: The Detroit area, WASPs predominantly possessed the wealth that came from the new automotive industry. After the 1967 Detroit riot , they tended to congregate in the Grosse Pointe suburbs. In the Chicago metropolitan area , white Protestants primarily reside in the North Shore suburbs , the Barrington area in the northwest suburbs, and in Oak Park and DuPage County in the western suburbs. Traditionally,

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4620-555: The Fair, which was subsequently run by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras from 1989. The event is the kick off event for the official Mardi Gras season in Victoria Park, Sydney for Sydney's wider LGBTQIA+ communities and their friends and family. Up to 70,000 people routinely turn out to sit on the grass, browse the stalls and catch up with old friends or make some new ones. Fair Day 2011 saw record numbers of attendees. Entertainment came from

4730-523: The Foxtel Main Stage and included a set from Zoe Badwi and Garçon Garçon , and one of the biggest ever "Mr and Mrs Fair Day" competitions. Approximately 250 volunteers assisted with 220 stalls made up of many LGBTQIA+community groups. In 2017, Mardi Gras Fair Day was held at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park on Sunday 19 February. The Mardi Gras Awards are presented to organisations and individuals who made an outstanding contribution to Mardi Gras and

4840-526: The Gay Solidarity Group more than 500 people gathered on Oxford Street, in a planned street "festival" calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing, an end to police harassment and the repeal of all anti-homosexual laws. The figure rose to around 2,000 as revellers out for the Saturday night at Oxford Street bars and clubs responded to the call "Out of the bars and into

4950-457: The Japanese kosupure ( コスプレ ) ) was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi in reporting on the 42nd World Science Fiction Convention for Japanese magazine My Anime . It is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes, wigs and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplay is popular at conventions across the world. An example of a major cosplay convention in

5060-467: The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. In 2013, the New South Wales Police were accused of police brutality after a video shot by a bystander and uploaded to YouTube showed a handcuffed man thrown to the ground twice by an officer. The man repeatedly kicked police officers before being handcuffed. By 2014, all charges against the bystander were withdrawn by police and the officer concerned

5170-462: The U.K., largely since in the late 1990s. Many materials and costumes being imported from the Far East (with cost savings in labour and bulk orders) had increased in volume at that time. This has seen the price of purchased costumes becoming more and more affordable. Coupled with the modern trend in costume parties, 'retro' fashion as a costume theme (such as a 1970s or 1980s fancy dress) is also popular,

5280-547: The U.S. and the UK and complaints about perceived "Anglo-Saxon" cultural or political dominance. In December 1918, after victory in the World War, President Woodrow Wilson told a British official in London: "You must not speak of us who come over here as cousins, still less as brothers; we are neither. Neither must you think of us as Anglo-Saxons, for that term can no longer be rightly applied to

5390-546: The U.S. population that founded the nation and traced their heritages to...Northwestern Europe. The term...has become more inclusive. To many people, WASP now includes most 'white' people who are not ... members of any minority group. Apart from Protestant English, British, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian Americans, other ethnic groups frequently included under the label WASP include Americans of French Huguenot descent, Protestant Americans of Germanic European descent in general, and established Protestant American families of

5500-736: The United States by Harriet Zuckerman , between 1901 and 1972, 72% of American Nobel Prize laureates have come from a Protestant background, mostly from Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Lutheran background, while Protestants made up roughly 67% of the US population during that period. Of Nobel prizes awarded to Americans between 1901 and 1972, 84.2% of those in Chemistry , 60% in Medicine , and 58.6% in Physics were awarded to Protestants. The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant upper class has largely held church membership in

5610-453: The United States were mostly educated, well-to-do, of British ancestry , and Protestants. According to a study of the biographies of signers of the Declaration of Independence by Caroline Robbins : The Signers came for the most part from an educated elite, were residents of older settlements, and belonged with a few exceptions to a moderately well-to-do class representing only a fraction of

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5720-504: The United States was typically associated with WASP status, particularly with the Episcopal and Presbyterian Church. Some of the wealthiest and most affluent American families such as the Vanderbilts , Astors , Rockefellers , Du Ponts , Roosevelts , Forbes , Fords , Mellons , Whitneys , Morgans , and Harrimans are white primarily mainline Protestant families. According to

5830-533: The United States would be Anime Expo , held annually in Los Angeles, California. There are many annual events that generate the chance to dress up in fancy dress costumes : Christmas , New Year , birthdays, hen and stag parties , and World Book Day , amongst others. Halloween is the most popular costume or fancy dress event of the year in English-speaking countries. Halloween originated centuries ago,

5940-515: The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) finds its fullest expression in the Episcopal Church." From 1854 until about 1964, white Protestants were predominantly Republicans . More recently, the group is split more evenly between the Republican and Democratic parties. Episcopalians and Presbyterians are among the wealthiest religious groups and were formerly disproportionately represented in American business, law, and politics. Old money in

6050-520: The arrests in 1978 were made. The second Mardi Gras had the theme of Power in the Darkness . While there was a large police presence, there were no arrests made. In 1980, after the third successful Mardi Gras parade, at community consultations, decisions were made to move the parade to the summer. In 1981, the parade was shifted to February, with the name changed to the "Sydney Gay Mardi Gras". An increasingly large number of people not only participated in

6160-522: The celebration of Halloween in the United States during the late nineteenth century. As a reaction to Halloween pranks and vandalism brought to the country by Celtic immigrants, women's magazines introduced a new, middle-class rendition of the holiday that would come to assert women as the dominant celebrants of Halloween throughout the coming decades. It sought to enforce the ideals of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants by encouraging young people to partake in tame, preferably indoor, activities instead, often with

6270-483: The celebrations. Mardi Gras, at different times, has attracted criticism from its own members, LGBTQIA+ communities, and a variety of religious and political groups. Some argue Mardi Gras is inherently subversive to traditional Christian , Islamic and Jewish values. Each year the event is held, Fred Nile , a former member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and a former minister of

6380-521: The center of the social season, the organizing committees are studded with luminaries from publishing, Hollywood and Wall Street and family lineage is almost irrelevant. In 2007, The New York Times reported that there was a rising interest in the WASP culture. In their review of Susanna Salk's A Privileged Life: Celebrating WASP Style , they stated that Salk "is serious about defending the virtues of WASP values, and their contribution to American culture." By

6490-425: The change, including former Mardi Gras president Richard Cobden, who said that the group did not have the authority to make such a change, adding "For 20-plus years we have been able to force the mainstream media to call it the 'Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.' They had to say the words. For a long time they did not want to but we made them. That has been thrown away". The name of the festival was subsequently restored as

6600-431: The class of Americans that held "national power in its economic, political, and social aspects", Hacker wrote: These 'old' Americans possess, for the most part, some common characteristics. First of all, they are 'WASPs'—in the cocktail party jargon of the sociologists. That is, they are wealthy, they are Anglo-Saxon in origin, and they are Protestants (and disproportionately Episcopalian ). An earlier usage appeared in

6710-476: The combined impact of Britain and the United States on European affairs. Charles de Gaulle repeatedly sought to "rid France of Anglo-Saxon influence". The term is used with more nuance in discussions by French writers on French decline, especially as an alternative model to which France should aspire, how France should adjust to its two most prominent global competitors, and how it should deal with social and economic modernization. Outside of Anglophone countries,

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6820-431: The costumes to some extent parodying or pastiching the fashions of earlier decades. Amongst the most popular parodied costumes are: Audrey Hepburn (as Holly Golightly ), Madonna in her classic stage outfits, and more recently Lady Gaga . Fancy dress parties are popular year round in the United Kingdom. The 1996 novel Bridget Jones's Diary features the classic British costume party theme "Tarts and Vicars" at which

6930-419: The cultural scene. American values bore the stamp of this Anglo-Saxon Protestant ascendancy. The political, cultural, religious, and intellectual leaders of the nation were largely of a Northern European Protestant stock, and they propagated public morals compatible with their background. Before WASP came into use in the 1960s, the term Anglo-Saxon served some of the same purposes. Like the newer term WASP ,

7040-409: The definition of WASP varies in this respect. It was seen to be in exclusionary contrast to Catholics, Jews, Irish, immigrants, southern or eastern Europeans, and the non-White. WASPs have dominated American society, culture, and politics for most of the history of the United States. Critics have disparaged them as " The Establishment ". Although the social influence of wealthy WASPs has declined since

7150-553: The early Middle Ages Anglian and Saxon kingdoms were established over most of England, ('land of the Angles'). After the Norman conquest in 1066, Anglo-Saxon refers to the pre-invasion English people. Political scientist Andrew Hacker used the term WASP in 1957, with W standing for 'wealthy' rather than ' white '. The P formed a humorous epithet to imply " waspishness " or someone likely to make sharp, slightly cruel remarks. Describing

7260-525: The event. In 2021, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the parade, held on 6 March 2021, was relocated to the nearby Sydney Cricket Ground as a paid, ticketed event with 36,000 spectators and was televised live on the Special Broadcasting Service . In 2023, independent senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe disrupted the parade in an attempt to raise awareness about intractable social issues such as Indigenous rates of incarceration and

7370-548: The festival was the play "Nothing Personal" designed by Arthur Dicks . In 1994, Mardi Gras Festival adopted the theme We are Family , a nod to it being International Year of the Family. That year there were 137 floats in the parade with 600,000 spectators. For the first time, the parade was filmed by the ABC TV and shown on Sunday 6 March at 8.30 pm. It won its time slot and earned ABC TV its highest ratings in history. The 1997 parade

7480-618: The first Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, participants in the Mardi Gras Parade now include groups of uniformed Australian Defence Force personnel, police officers from New South Wales Police Force, as well as interstate and federal police officers, firefighters and other emergency services personnel from the Australian LGBTQIA+ communities. Marriage equality was a dominant theme in the 2011 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade with at least 15 floats lobbying for same-sex marriage. In 2019 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras submitted

7590-523: The formal use of the LGBTQIA+ acronym. To allow for greater inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community it represents (including those identifying as bisexual , transgender , queer , intersex and asexual ), on 17 November 2011 the festival and event organisers changed the event name to "Sydney Mardi Gras". On the same date the organisation reverted to its former name, "Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras" (from "New Mardi Gras"), as more than 9,100 participants joined in

7700-507: The gay and lesbian community. InterPride , at their October 2019 Annual General Meeting of three hundred delegate organizations, held in Athens, Greece chose Sydney, Australia to host WorldPride 2023, the first time WorldPride will be held in the Southern Hemisphere or Asia Pacific region. Sydney received 60% of the vote ahead of the other bid contenders Montreal, Canada (36%) and Houston, Texas (3%). WorldPride 2023 coincided with

7810-475: The hands of a Christian person like myself to give it dignity but still open it up to answering questions about Christianity as a faith system." Playwright Terrence McNally , a gay man, received death threats when it was played in the United States. In early 2011, members of the organisation unanimously voted to include intersex formally into the organisation at the Annual General Meeting and adopt

7920-619: The heyday of WASP dominance, the Social Register delineated high society. According to The New York Times , its influence had faded by the late 20th century: Once, the Social Register was a juggernaut in New York social circles... Nowadays, however, with the waning of the WASP elite as a social and political force, the register's role as an arbiter of who counts and who doesn't is almost an anachronism. In Manhattan, where charity galas are at

8030-498: The high tide of WASP control". In 1965, Canadian sociologist John Porter, in The Vertical Mosaic , argued that British origins were disproportionately represented in the higher echelons of Canadian class, income, political power, the clergy, the media, etc. However, more recently, Canadian scholars have traced the decline of the WASP elite. According to Ralph E. Pyle: A number of analysts have suggested that WASP dominance of

8140-470: The ideals of the Enlightenment meant that they sought to assimilate newcomers from outside of the British Isles , but few were interested in adopting a Pan-European identity for the nation, much less turning it into a global melting pot. However, in the early 1900s, liberal progressives and modernists began promoting more inclusive ideals for what the national identity of the United States should be. While

8250-411: The institutional order has become a thing of the past. The accepted wisdom is that after World War II, the selection of individuals for leadership positions was increasingly based on factors such as motivation and training rather than ethnicity and social lineage. Many reasons have been given for the decline of WASP power, and books have been written detailing it. Self-imposed diversity incentives opened

8360-404: The issue of having a Sydney Polyamorists float in the parade, whilst also promoting same-sex marriage for couples. Particularly, as the 2012 Mardi Gras theme was "universal and infinite love", some polyamorists felt discriminated against. The issue was resolved with a polyamory float, based on the theme, "Queer Polyamory". In the 2014 Mardi Gras there was another float, "Polyamory Sydney 'Birds of

8470-563: The many social activities. Individual and team sports have always been a big part of the festival. In 1979 an 'Alternative Lifestyle Fair' as part of a week of activities around International Gay Solidarity Day. During the early 1980s the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association held an annual Fair Day, which was brought into the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras program in 1985. From 1985 to 1988 the Business Association continued to run

8580-837: The more traditionalist segments of society continued to maintain their Anglo-Protestant ethnocultural traditions, universalism and cosmopolitanism started gaining favor among the elites. These ideals became institutionalized after the Second World War, and ethnic minorities started moving towards institutional parity with the once dominant Anglo-Protestants. Some of the first colleges and universities in America, including Harvard , Yale , Princeton , Rutgers , Columbia , Dartmouth , Pennsylvania , Duke , Boston University , Williams , Bowdoin , Middlebury , and Amherst , all were founded by mainline Protestant denominations. Expensive, private prep schools and universities have historically been associated with WASPs. Colleges such as

8690-457: The nation's social and cultural elites, were often associated with the American upper class , Harvard University , and the Episcopal Church. Like other sociological groups, WASPs tend to concentrate within close proximity of each other. These areas are often exclusive and associated with top schools, high incomes, well-established church communities, and high real-estate values. For example, in

8800-447: The national broadcaster ABC telecast the parade for the first time. In 1996 there was criticism over the inclusion of bisexuals and heterosexuals as members of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It was claimed that the subsequent requirement for those people to correctly answer specific questions, created two classes of membership – namely (1) gays, lesbians and transgender people and (2) bisexuals and heterosexuals. In 1997

8910-408: The nineteenth century, Anglo-Saxons was often used as a synonym for all people of English descent and sometimes more generally, for all the English-speaking peoples of the world. It was often used in implying superiority, much to the annoyance of outsiders. For example, American clergyman Josiah Strong boasted in 1890: In 1700 this race numbered less than 6,000,000 souls. In 1800, Anglo-Saxons (I use

9020-481: The now summertime event, but a crowd of 5,000 came to watch it. 1981's event saw a split develop between lesbian and gays over the inclusion of floats representing businesses. For most of the decade many lesbians excluded themselves from the event. A large post-parade party was held in 1982, which 4,000 people attended. This would continue to become an integral part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. 1983 saw 44 floats participate with 20,000 onlookers. Footage of

9130-588: The older term Anglo-Saxon was used derisively by writers hostile to an informal alliance between Britain and the U.S. The negative connotation was especially common among Irish Americans and writers in France. Anglo-Saxon , meaning in effect the whole Anglosphere , remains a term favored by the French, used disapprovingly in contexts such as criticism of the Special Relationship of close diplomatic relations between

9240-399: The organising company was bankrupt. In 2003, the festival organisers responded to claims that the event was becoming too commercialised by implementing a scaled-down, grassroots approach. The 2009 performance figures indicated about 9,500 participants and 134 floats were part of the parade, making it the largest ever. Up to 300,000 spectators from Australia and overseas turned out in 2011 for

9350-443: The parade end. These roads and others including some around Hyde Park , are closed to traffic for the duration of the parade and for a few hours after as clean-up operations proceed. Each year, a Chief of Parade ( Grand Marshal ), is chosen by the organisation New Mardi Gras as someone who represents the values and spirit of Mardi Gras. This honourable title has previously been awarded to: The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade

9460-411: The parade was renamed the "Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras" at an Extraordinary General Meeting. 1991 saw the eighth annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film festival, a Mardi Gras event, included in a national film festival for the first time. In this year the parade had become the largest ever held in Australia. In 1992, the festival lasted for four weeks, making it the largest gay and lesbian festival in

9570-637: The people of the United States....There are only two things which can establish and maintain closer relations between your country and mine: they are community of ideals and of interests." The term remains in use in Ireland as a term for the British or English, and sometimes in Scottish Nationalist discourse. Irish-American humorist Finley Peter Dunne popularized the ridicule of "Anglo-Saxons", even calling President Theodore Roosevelt one. Roosevelt insisted he

9680-523: The period to 1850, fancy dress balls were a typical part of the social life of music festivals . Common costumes of the period were specific historical characters, generic historical or regional clothing, abstract concepts (such as "winter", "starlight" or "night"), and objects (such as "champagne bottle" or "aquarium"). Popular characters included Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth I for women and Napoleon and Robin Hood for men. Notable amongst early events in

9790-405: The period, including high waisted pants and stone wash denim. Fans sometimes attend sporting events in a costume as a sign of support of their favored team. Some sporting events have large numbers of fans attending in fancy dress costume. Examples include Wellington Rugby Sevens , where almost every fan who attends wears some sort of costume, and San Jose Bike Party , where each month's ride has

9900-644: The population. Native or born overseas, they were of British stock and of the Protestant faith. Catholics in the Northeast and the Midwest—mostly immigrants and their descendants from Ireland and Germany as well as southern and eastern Europe—came to dominate Democratic Party politics in big cities through the ward boss system . Catholic politicians were often the target of WASP political hostility. Political scientist Eric Kaufmann argues that "the 1920s marked

10010-570: The releases of the series' later novels, and some movie theaters have had Potter-themed celebrations as the movie adaptations have been released. Larger scale 'parties' are often related to organised societies or conventions . The hobby of fan costuming and modern cosplay largely developed from the World Science Fiction Conventions (Worldcons), starting with the first in New York in 1939 when two attendees, Forrest J Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas , wore "futuristicostumes". From

10120-406: The role of police in that process. In 2024, after the alleged murder of Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies around 20 February 2024 by serving NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre, the Mardi Gras board decided to ban members of the force from participating in Mardi Gras. Owing to sensitivities in the LGBTQIA+ community and recollections of past poor treatment by NSW Police. However this decision

10230-548: The school. These legacy admissions allowed for the continuation of WASP influence on important sectors of the US. Members of Protestant denominations associated with WASPs have some of the highest proportions of advanced degrees . Examples include the Episcopal Church , with 76% of those polled having some college education, and the Presbyterian Church , with 64%. According to Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in

10340-619: The story of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The second Mardi Gras Parade occurred in 1979 despite opposition by gay media, businesses and groups. The 1979 parade, in recognition of the Stonewall Riots and commemorating the riot of the previous year, was attended by 3,000 people. In that same year, the Labor Government of New South Wales, led by Neville Wran , repealed the Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW) under which

10450-531: The streets!". Although the organisers had obtained permission, this was revoked, and the parade was broken up by the police. After the parade was dispersing in Kings Cross, 53 of the participants were arrested. Although most charges were eventually dropped, The Sydney Morning Herald published the names of those arrested in full, leading to many people being outed to their friends and places of employment, and many of those arrested lost their jobs as homosexuality

10560-529: The term Anglo-Saxon and its translations are used to refer to the Anglophone peoples and societies of Britain, the United States, and countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Variations include the German Angelsachsen , French le modèle anglo-saxon , Spanish anglosajón , Dutch Angelsaksisch model  [ nl ] and Italian Paesi anglosassoni  [ it ] . In

10670-438: The term WASP has sometimes expanded to include not just "Anglo-Saxon" or English-American elites but also American people of other Protestant Northwestern European origin, including Protestant Dutch Americans , Scottish Americans , Welsh Americans , German Americans , Ulster Scots or "Scotch-Irish" Americans , and Scandinavian Americans . A 1969 Time article stated, "purists like to confine Wasps to descendants of

10780-456: The term has expanded to include other Protestant denominations as well. The concept of Anglo-Saxonism, and especially Anglo-Saxon Protestantism, evolved in the late 19th century, especially among American Protestant missionaries eager to transform the world. Historian Richard Kyle says: Protestantism had not yet split into two mutually hostile camps – the liberals and fundamentalists. Of great importance, evangelical Protestantism still dominated

10890-449: The term somewhat broadly to include all English-speaking peoples) had increased to about 20,500,000, and now, in 1890, they number more than 120,000,000. In 1893, Strong envisioned a future "new era" of triumphant Anglo-Saxonism: Is it not reasonable to believe that this race is destined to dispossess many weaker ones, assimilate others, and mould the remainder until... it has Anglo-Saxonized mankind? The popular and sociological usage of

11000-572: The women wear sexually provocative ("tart") costumes, while the men dress as Anglican priests (" vicars "). Fancy dress parties have been held by the British Royal Family . Prince William , heir to the British Throne, celebrated his 21st birthday with an "Out of Africa" theme, Princess Beatrice of York chose an 1888 themed party for her 18th birthday, and Lord Frederick ("Freddie") Windsor and his sister Lady Gabriella Windsor , celebrated

11110-539: The world. Also in 1992, Fiona Cunningham-Reid filmed a documentary about the history of the Mardi Gras called "Feed Them to the Cannibals!". By 1993, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade had become the largest night time outdoor parade in the world. Mardi Gras' Economic Impact Study found that the total Mardi Gras impact into the Australian economy was around A$ 38 million. In February 1993 an Umbrella Event of

11220-465: The years since 17,000 to 20,000 tickets are consistently sold, an increase over the first Parade Ball held in 1980 at the Paddington Town Hall, a BYO event which attracted 700 guests. Although, by the late first decade of the 21st century, ticket sales has begun to fall, with the 2012 post parade party selling out at 15,300 tickets; and ticket sales a little lower again in 2013. The 2010 party

11330-640: Was Dutch. "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance", argues California politician Tom Hayden . The depiction of the Irish in the films of John Ford was a counterpoint to WASP standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or ' lace-curtain Irish ' ideas of respectability." In Australia, Anglo or Anglo-Saxon refers to people of English descent, while Anglo-Celtic includes people of Irish, Welsh, and Scottish descent. In France, Anglo-Saxon refers to

11440-476: Was a crime in New South Wales (NSW) until 1984. Only two people who were arrested were fined. The rest were released without bail and the charges dismissed. The police response to a legal, local minority protest transformed it into a nationally significant event which stimulated gay rights and law reform campaigns. A documentary, Witches and Faggots, Dykes and Poofters, produced by Digby Duncan in 1980 tells

11550-514: Was covered by Libbi Gorr 's current affairs show McFeast on ABC TV. In 1988, Aboriginal Australian dancers Malcolm Cole (1949-1995) and Rodney Junga-Williams (1962-2011), in collaboration with artist Panos Couros, enacted the story of the First Fleet , with Cole as Captain Cook , and Junga-Williams as Joseph Banks – the first ever Aboriginal float entry in the parade. A boatful of black sailors

11660-495: Was facing disciplinary proceedings. Disciplinary proceedings against the officer were withdrawn. On a number of occasions, there have been controversies with, and bans of, the UFO -related Raelians participation in the parade. A Raelian spokesman said the bans were unfair as the Raelians support non-discrimination and have gay and lesbian members. In 2012 Mardi Gras organisers faced

11770-581: Was hard to remember everyone, or to keep track of the new debutantes and marriages. The solution was the Social Register , which listed the names and addresses of about 1 percent of the population. Most were WASPs, and they included families who mingled at the same private clubs, attended the right teas and cotillions , worshipped together at prestige churches, funded the proper charities, lived in exclusive neighborhoods, and sent their daughters to finishing schools and their sons away to prep schools . In

11880-778: Was not held on the night of the parade and was later described by the organisers as human error during scheduling. Several well known local and international artists have performed at the Party and include: By 1987 the festival included 35 events. The 1998 festival was estimated to contribute $ 99 million to the Sydney economy. Multi-disc Mardi Gras compilation albums were released in 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2003. The festival's live entertainment includes cabaret, comedy, music and theatre. The Mardi Gras Film Festival showcases international and local gay and lesbian films. There are many literature and arts events, forum and conferences to attend between

11990-453: Was pulled by a white man, with this leading float commemorating 218 years after Cook's landing and claim on the land. Cole died of HIV/AIDS , and in 2024 his twin brother Robert recreated his costume in order to march again in the parade to commemorate his life. Criticism of the Sydney Mardi Gras was perhaps at its strongest during the early years of the AIDS crisis, and flared again when in 1994

12100-514: Was reversed on 28 February 2024, and it was agreed by both the board and Police Commissioner Karen Webb that the Force could participate, but not in uniform. They would march as a group, without a float. Additionally in 2024, Malcolm Cole 's twin brother Robert recreated his 1988 Captain Cook costume, in order to wear it in the parade to commemorate Malcolm's life. The Australian Queer Archives , City of Sydney Archives, Pride History Group, and

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