Former Sydney Mardi Gras chief executive Claire "Gil" Beckwith has lost a NSW Industrial Court claim for more than $21,000 in unpaid long-service leave, after a judge ruled she resigned because she no longer wanted the job rather than due to illness. Beckwith had argued she quit last June because of stress and a suspected case of shingles, which under NSW law could have entitled her to the payment, but Justice Peter Kite found insufficient evidence to support this, instead concluding her departure was a personal choice made amid a turbulent period for the organisation.

Beckwith, who joined Mardi Gras in 2018 and became CEO in October 2023, had been dealing with sexual misconduct complaints from seven staff against three board members, as well as a complaint filed against her by a board member over her handling of the matter. Court documents showed she visited her GP once in March 2025 reporting exhaustion and a possible shingles rash, but her test results came back normal and were never followed up. During her sick leave she was offered a 12-month contract extension, which she declined, telling the board she did not want to continue for another year; she did not mention any medical issues until her final day of employment in June 2025.