As we approach the final days of Mardi Gras, we are reminded of its 2020 theme, What Matters. This film was produced with the future in mind; to consider what our community needs, what matters to us as individuals, as one, as those who fill in the interstitial spaces uplifting our history, and rectifying the history taken away from us by law or death.

What matters to us all is what matters to most people. In a country of glacial progression, what matters is that we are given tenderness and grace from within our community and beyond. What matters is holding ourselves and others accountable, especially in the face of discrimination. What matters is continuing to create spaces for each other in celebration of self-expression to make equality tangible and real. It’s that we continue to work tirelessly for this social justice, to remember and celebrate those who suffered to make Mardi Gras possible.

It’s the small group of queer liberation protestors in 1978 who suffered at the hands of the police that made it possible for us to celebrate and party today. It’s the solidarity we feel when we form connections and bonds with our peers, and the life-affirming response these bonds create.

What matters is that it always was, always will be Aboriginal land, and that there can be no social justice without sovereignty.

What matters is that queers from all intersections and cultures are given unconditional protection and visibility. It’s that we move into a future where inclusion is not merely a box to tick or a moment for corporate capitalisation, but a celebration of the diversity of voices that can and do say these words far better than I could ever articulate.

In the words of writer Gopi Lev Dupain, "Let us hold space for each other to celebrate, to grieve, to build, to come out and go within."

Special thanks to cinematographer and director Brooke James, all of our wonderful participants, One Hot Yoga and The Front.