AUSTRALIAN GAY PARADE GIVES ECONOMIC BOOST

    SYDNEY, Sept 2 (Reuter) - Sydney's annual Gay & Lesbian Mardi
Gras parade injected Australian $15 million ($10 million) into
the economy this year, according to a study released on Thursday.

    "This expenditure was focused on the accommodation, cultural,
personal services, retail and tourism industries," the report
said.

    The report, commissioned by Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
Ltd, a non-profit body, found spending on events associated with
the parade totalled about A$26 million ($17 million).

    The February parade attracted half a million spectators,
mainly upper-income, college-educated people over the age of 30,
the report said.

    "The Mardi Gras is not just vital for the gay and lesbian
community, it makes a valuable contribution to our city, our
state and our nation," Mardi Gras president Susan Harben said.

    The first Mardi Gras in June 1978 was cut short after a
violent clash with police that ended with 53 arrests.