Dalby mum Jacinta Kretschmer debuts at Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival

From the aisles of Bunnings in Dalby, to Darlinghurst in Sydney, one Dalby local’s inspiring story of being out and proud proves that sometimes, good things are worth the wait.

While the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival is over for this year, its impact is evergreen for one of this year’s first timers, Dalby resident Jacinta Kretschmer.

Mardi Gras is an annual festival in Sydney which gives all people the opportunity to come together to celebrate the LGTBQIA+ community with unadulterated, uninhibited pride and joy.

Dalby local Jacinta Kretschmer (third from right), debuted at the Mardi Gras Debutante Ball by Johnnie Walker in Sydney.

One of the festival’s highlights is the Mardi Gras Debutante ball by Johnnie Walker, where first timers are invited to make their debut.

One such debutante at this year’s celebration was Ms Kretschmer, an employee at Bunnings Warehouse Dalby.

After getting married, Ms Kretschmer had four kids and spent 35 years living on the Sunshine Coast, and while she gave everything she had to raising her children she said she always knew she felt different.

Ms Kretschmer said she never examined her feelings deeply until about ten years ago when she came out at the age of 50.

“I always knew there was something different about me,” Ms Kretschmer said.

“When you have kids you just kind of put yourself in a box somewhere.”

As her kids got older, Ms Kretschmer said she spent a year in counselling unpacking and coming to terms with her true identity.

Jacinta, dolled up and ready for the Mardi Gras Debutante Ball by Johnnie Walker in Sydney.

Ms Kretschmer finally came out when her youngest daughter was 15 years old but described the experience as “cringe” because she knew she hurt her family.

“Coming out then was quite traumatic because I had a marriage. I hurt my husband deeply, confused my kids and all that sort of thing,” she said.

So, in her 50s, Ms Kretschmer moved out of her family home, and eventually set down new roots in the regional Queensland town of Dalby.

Dalby local, Jacinta Kretschmer, debuted at the Mardi Gras Debutante Ball by Johnnie Walker in Sydney.

“Dalby has been great to me,” Ms Kretschmer said.

She also expanded that she feels proud to be living life as her most authentic self, which she certainly feels she can do at Bunnings.

“Bunnings are really great … I always wear a pride pin,” she said.

Ms Kretschmer said her children also see the positive impact coming out has had on her disposition.

“I have great relationships with all my girls,” Ms Kretschmer said.

“After the initial confusion, they just accepted me.

“To them, I was still just her mum.

“One of my daughters said to me once ‘there’s something about you now’.”

Jacinta said she always wears a pride pin at work at Bunnings.

While Ms Kretschmer said a big part of the reason she did not come out earlier in life was because of her background in a catholic family, she was warmed by her mother’s acceptance when she did come out.

“I came out late because of coming up through a Catholic family,” Ms Kretschmer said.

“When I came out, I chickened out and texted my mother … a week later my mum hadn’t got back to me.”

Ms Kretschmer recounted the stress she felt that her mum might not accept her, but it wasn’t what she thought.

“Two days later I got a text from her saying ‘oh sweetie so sorry we’ve been camping, had no service. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy’ that was it,” she said.

Now, with all the support of her family, friends, and colleagues Ms Kretschmer said she was happy to finally have her moment to come out and claim her identity in a way that was purely joyous.

Originally published as Dalby mum Jacinta Kretschmer debuts at Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival