Tag: gay couple

Quiet moment at Sydney Mardi Gras after death of gay couple

Australia observed a moment of silence at Sydney’s annual Mardi Gras Pride, a week following the tragic deaths of a gay couple, journalist Jesse Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29, whose bodies were discovered at a rural property outside Sydney.

Beaumont Lamarre-Condon faces two counts of murder in connection with the incident.

While Mardi Gras organizers initially sought to exclude police presence from the event, negotiations led to the inclusion of plain-clothed officers.

During the parade, participants paused to honor the memory of Mr. Baird and Mr. Davies, described as an opportunity for collective reflection and solidarity.

Qantas, Mr. Davies’ former employer, paid tribute to him on its parade float, honoring his legacy as a former cabin crew member.

Image caption,More than 12,000 people are expected to march in the parade

Gil Beckwith, the CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, announced that this year’s parade theme is “Our Future,” emphasizing reflection on the past and recognizing the community’s progress over the past few decades.

Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade has a multifaceted history, intertwining LGBT activism and instances of police brutality. The inaugural march in 1978 witnessed numerous participants being subjected to violence and arrest by local law enforcement.

Despite the adversity faced, this event is now regarded as a pivotal moment of resistance, laying the groundwork for Australia’s contemporary LGBT rights movement. It also prompted reforms addressing homophobic legislation and law enforcement practices.

Image caption,The bodies of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, were found in Bungonia, New South Wales

Uniformed police have participated in Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade for the last two decades, but this year’s organisers said the decision to ban officers was essential to create a safe environment “to protest, celebrate” and “honour and grieve those we’ve lost”.

Police allege the killings were “of a domestic nature” and not a “gay-hate crime”.

On February 23rd, Mr. Lamarre-Condon, a senior constable with the New South Wales Police, faced charges of murdering Mr. Davies and Mr. Baird. Allegedly, he used his police-issued handgun in the incident.

The 28-year-old, who had a prior relationship with Mr. Baird, has not yet entered a plea.

March 2, 2024
Police officer barred from Sydney Mardi Gras following death of gay couple

The decision to exclude police from Sydney’s well-known Mardi Gras parade this weekend has sparked controversy among Australians.

The organizers said they made the call to give the LGBTQ+ community a place to be sad because a police officer was charged with killing a gay couple last week.

The march used to be a place where police were violent towards gay activists, but now it is seen as an event that brings people together.

NSW Police said they were not happy with the result.

People are wondering if the police should be in the parade because a police officer is accused of killing someone he used to date and their partner. It happened last Monday.

The people in charge of the parade said they decided not to include the police this year. They said it was a difficult decision, but they wanted to make sure the parade was a safe place for people to protest, celebrate, and remember those who have passed away.

The Mardi Gras parade in Sydney has a long history involving LGBTQ+ activism and police violence. The first march in 1978 led to many people being beaten and arrested by the police.

Now thought of as a brave and important act, what happened that day helped start the movement for LGBTQ+ rights in Australia. It also led to changes in laws and how police treat people who are gay.

How Sydney’s first Mardi Gras led to change because of violence.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she is meeting with the parade board on Tuesday to discuss how the decision could harm police, especially gay and lesbian officers. This decision has caused a lot of arguments online.

On Monday, she said it would be very unfair to not let police come to the event this weekend. She said that Mr. Lamarre-Condon’s supposed crime was about love, not hate against gay people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that although the relationship between Sydney’s LGBTQ+ community and police has improved since 1978, he knows that people are sad about a big tragedy.

Alex Greenwich, who is one of the few openly gay members of parliament in the state, has asked the board to change its mind about the decision. He said to Nine News that the police should work on gaining community trust. He believes that working together, rather than excluding the police from Mardi Gras, is a good start.

Pride in Protest, an activist group, has been trying to get the police out of the event for a long time. They are happy with the decision and think it is a win for the LGBTQ+ community.

“The police and the community have a very bad relationship right now. People don’t trust or have confidence in the police,” said Charlie Murphy, who speaks for the group Australian Associated Press.

February 27, 2024
Policeman accused of killing gay couple who went missing from Sydney

A 28-year-old police officer has been accused of killing Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies who went missing.

Police searched hard on Wednesday after the couple’s bloody things were found in a trash can near Sydney.

Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, who used to date Baird, was wanted by the police and turned himself in on Friday.

Investigators are still looking for the men’s bodies and are not sure how they died.

The police say the couple was killed on Monday in Jesse Baird’s house in Paddington, a suburb in Sydney. Then their bodies were put in a white van.

People said they heard loud talking and arguing in the morning. A van that was rented was seen on video at the same place later that day. The van was discovered in the southern part of Sydney on Friday morning.

New South Wales Police found a bullet from Beaumont Lamarre-Condon’s work gun at the Paddington crime scene, along with a lot of blood and furniture that was turned over.

He didn’t come to work on Tuesday. The senior police officer’s gun was found in a safe at the police station later, said Det Supt Daniel Doherty.

The police found clothes with blood on them, a phone, and credit cards in a bin in Cronulla, which is 28km away from where the crime happened. They also found some things in a house in Balmain.

Detective Superintendent Doherty said Beaumont Lamarre-Condon is thought to have also gone to Newcastle, which is 170km north of where the crime happened, after the alleged killings.

He said the information from Beaumont Lamarre-Condon didn’t help the investigation, but tips from the public really did. He asked again for anyone with information to call the police.

“It’s really important that we find the bodies, not just to know how they died but also to give the family some answers. ” “They are very upset,” Detective Superintendent Doherty said.

Mr Baird used to be on TV and report from the red carpet, but his show got canceled in December. Davies used to work as a flight attendant for Qantas.

Many happy pictures of the couple were posted a lot on their social media. Many people have been leaving kind messages since they went missing.

Beaumont Lamarre-Condon started working as a police officer in 2019. Before that, he was a famous blogger who met celebrities like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus.

The Australian media wrote about his meetings with famous people, and a magazine asked if he was the biggest fan in Australia.

Det Supt Doherty refused to say why the crimes happened but mentioned that the police officer had broken up with Jesse Baird a few months ago, so that’s something the police are looking into.

Beaumont Lamarre-Condon was not allowed to go free and had to go to court on Friday afternoon.

February 23, 2024