Anxiety is mounting about the state of Sydney’s Oxford Street as a third of shopfronts on the gay drag are empty just months out from WorldPride, with many better described as ‘derelict’. Lord Mayor Clover Moore said council would ensure that “we don’t have any blank windows on Oxford Street for WorldPride”. The golden mile has fallen a long way since its peak in the ’90s when the iconic drag bar The Albury (which inspired Priscilla) was still open. Real estate hype following the 2000 Olympics saw many retailers forced out, and the lock-out laws, Grindr, COVID etc. have all compounded the problem since. There really is nothing like a deadline to get your ass into gear and that deadline is February 17 for Sydney to prove that it really still is a supermodel.
Sydney WorldPride 17 February to 5 March 2023. Check out events at sydneyworldpride.com.
