Mardi Gras 2025 is just around the corner on March 1st! This year marks the 47th annual parade and The Neurodivergent Rainbow's 7th year of participation. Mardi Gras is a celebration of diversity, where everyone is welcome and celebrated no matter how you identify. The Neurodivergent Rainbow is a united group of Aspect staff, students, participants, and autistic community members walking together as one unified and proud group.

Aspect aims to empower our community to express their individuality and strengths. Given the significant overlap between autism and the LGBTQIA+ community, visibility and acceptance are crucial. By marching in Mardi Gras, Aspect is creating a platform for understanding and celebrating the unique qualities of our community allowing for staff and those we support to experience freedom to be who they are and to be proud of it.

2025 Neurodivergent Rainbow theme

The Neurodivergent Rainbow's theme for 2025 is 'Free To Be: Intersectional'. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, “intersectionality” is a framework for understanding how various aspects of a person's social and political identities (like gender, race, sexuality, disability) combine to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege. For queer Autistic individuals, this means their experiences are shaped by both their neurodivergence and their LGBTQIA+ identity, leading to unique challenges and perspectives.

Our entry will celebrate the vibrant intersection of neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ pride. Drawing inspiration from the bold and colourful 80s aesthetic, our marching group will feature t-shirts and signs with geometric designs and Venn diagrams to visually represent the concept of ‘Intersectionality’ and the overlapping identities of queer, Autistic individuals.

Here are a few of our plans and things to consider before submitting your EOI:

This year The Neurodivergent Rainbow will have space for a maximum for 50 participants to march. We will not have a vehicle that can carry parade participants as we have had in previous years, so if you’d like to express your interest, please make sure you are able to participate in the physical requirements of the parade detailed in the Mardi Gras Terms and Conditions linked on the side.

The Parade route is on Oxford Street and begins from Whitlam Square, ending at the Tibby Cotter Bridge, a total distance of 1.7 kilometers (35 minutes).

The deadline for submitting your Expression of Interest below is Friday 10th January.

Priority participant spaces will be given to Autistic LGBTQIA+ people and their support people/workers.

For more information you can email us directly