Jewish LGBTQ organisation Dayenu has welcomed the removal of two Pride in Protest members from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board, describing the activist group as “extremist” and “antisemitic”.
Mardi Gras members voted at an extraordinary general meeting on July 4 to remove directors Damien Nguyen and Luna Choo, who belong to Pride in Protest and had called the meeting.
Both were removed by majorities of more than 70 per cent. Separate motions seeking the removal of board co-chairs Mits Delisle and Kathy Pavlich were defeated.
Dayenu said the outcome showed Mardi Gras members had a “strong moral compass” and supported the right of Jewish LGBTQ people to take part without prejudice.
It said the result upheld “the spirit of Mardi Gras: that no member of the LGBT+ community should face prejudice based on their religion, identity, culture or race”.
“Dayenu considers Pride in Protest to be an antisemitic organisation,” it said.
Dayenu described Pride in Protest as an extremist activist group and accused Nguyen and Choo of promoting prejudice against Jewish members of the LGBTQ community.
It said the pair had accused Dayenu of supporting what they described as “Zionist genocide” and of shedding “crocodile tears” following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
Dayenu also accused Pride in Protest of organising protests against its members and supporters during the past three Mardi Gras parades.
“Dayenu believes these protests have been vile, abusive and intimidating attacks on members and supporters of the LGBT+ Jewish community,” it said.
The dispute followed a difficult lead-up to the 2026 parade, when Dayenu initially withdrew because of concerns about the safety of Jewish marchers.
The group later reversed its decision after talks with Mardi Gras organisers and NSW Police led to further security arrangements and strong support from the wider Jewish community.
Dayenu president David Klarnett later told JWire the group received the most enthusiastic welcome he could remember during his 20 years with the organisation.
More than 120 people attended its pre-parade and post-parade events, while marchers carried rainbow Magen David flags and menorah symbols along the route.
Pride in Protest was excluded from the parade after Mardi Gras organisers found social media posts directed at Dayenu breached participation requirements.
Dayenu said the hostility surrounding its participation had forced it to introduce extraordinary security measures at considerable financial cost.
A non-LGBT+ Jewish youth group that had marched alongside Dayenu on several previous occasions withdrew from this year’s parade because of safety concerns following the Bondi attack, the organisation said.
One Dayenu participant feared they might “go home in a body bag”.
“What should be a joyful celebration of acceptance has instead become a source of fear for some participants simply because they choose to march openly as Jews,” Dayenu said in a statement.
The organisation noted that the parade attracts up to 350,000 spectators without security screening.
Despite its concerns, Dayenu said members and supporters had continued to march “proudly and defiantly” in the face of what it described as Pride in Protest’s “hatred of Jews and promotion of discrimination, prejudice and intimidation”.
“This decisive outcome sends a clear message that Jews should not be excluded from the LGBT+ community,” Dayenu said.
It said it hoped the result would encourage other organisations to examine their practices and ensure all members of the community were treated with dignity and respect.
“For more than 27 years, Dayenu has advocated for the equality and inclusion of LGBT+ Jews,” it said.
“Over the past three years, it has also been compelled to fight for the safety, acceptance and equal treatment of Jewish members of the LGBT+ community.”
Dayenu thanked the Mardi Gras chief executive, board and members for reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to acceptance, inclusion and respect.
It said the result supported a community in which everyone could participate without prejudice.