On a cold Saturday night in Sydney on June 24, 1978, a number of gay men, lesbians and transgender people marched into the pages of Australian social history. I was one of them.

On today’s episode of Essays On Air, the audio version of The Conversation’s Friday essay series, Conversation editor Lucinda Beaman is reading my essay on the Sydney Mardi Gras march of 1978.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, it’s worth revisiting the events of that night and reflecting on the remarkable lesson that, for oppressed minorities, there comes a time when enough is enough.

Much has been achieved, but it would be a major mistake to relax and assume that history is progressively improving.

Join us as we read to you here at Essays On Air, a podcast from The Conversation.

Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today’s episode was edited by Sybilla Gross.

Additional audio

Snow by David Szesztay

Tom Robinson, Glad to be gay.

Mavis Staples, We shall not be moved

Podington Bear, Memory Wind, from Free Music Archive

David Szesztay, Flash, from Free Music Archive

David Szesztay, Looking Back, from Free Music Archive

Mark Gillespie is affiliated with The '78ers