Australia’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is now one of the world’s largest processions with more than 9,400 participants and 135 floats at this years event which took place in Sydney at the weekend. The theme was a look at gay history entitled “History of the World”. The parade first began as a protest march in 1978 by homosexual and transsexual men and women and is now supported by hundreds of thousands cheering spectators waving rainbow banners and Aussie flags.

During the weekend event more than 5,000 volunteers headed to the Opera House to help artist Spencer Tunick with his special project “The Base”. On direction from Tunick the crowd stripped off with all shapes, sizes, ages and sexuality on display surrounding the Sydney Opera House.

Below is an extract from Charles Purcell’s account of the day at the Sydney Morning Herald:

Those blessed with magnificent pelts of chest hair - something of a rarity among the waxed and trimmed crowd - fared best in a sea of goosepimpled flesh.

The ferries appeared to slow down as they came and went at Circular Quay, passengers witnessing more bare breasts than in a Russ Meyer film, while news helicopters flew overheard. But we were not daunted. The mood was happy, strong. Young and old, straight and gay, we were united in our nudeness. We were declaring to the world: "Yes, these are our bellies, our tuckshop arms, our hairy backs. Love them as we do."