Sydney Mardi Gras: Celebrating sexuality and being fearless

LGBTQI

SBS Publicity's Mark Mariano (right), ACON & Marriage Equality campaigner Elaine Czulkowsk & 17 yr. old student Finn Stannard who came out to his entire school Source: SBS

"If half of me was straight it wouldn't be as bad," describes now openly gay Mark Mariano about his coming out as a bisexual when he was 14-year-old.


Though he got a great support from his friends when he came out, it was only few years ago that the SBS Publicity's Program Guide Editor really sat down with his parents and casually told them that he's gay.

"Growing up as a queer Filipino and in a religious home, the messages were a little confusing for me and a lot of times when I was younger I felt sort of conflicted - on one end the Church doesn't support gay people and on the other, my mum has lots of friends, say particular in the salon where she would have gay friends there," reveals Mark Mariano.

But as he grew up and established his identity and accepted that being queer and Filipino is who he was, it was very easy for him to live that truth and let his parents know and they let him live his truth while let them have their opinion as well.

Sydney Mardi Gras
Mark Mariano (SBS Filipino) Source: SBS Filipino

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