A homophobic preacher who started shouting abuse to revellers at Sydney Mardi Gras met his match in a plucky young busker.

Axel Winter, 24, said that the preacher, armed with a stepladder, microphone and bible, threatened to ruin the LGBT festival when he announced that “today is the day God hates you the most if you’re homosexual”.

As the preacher shouted anti-gay slurs and waved his Bible around, Mr Winter said people began surrounding the man and were “getting aggressive”.

Setting up behind the preacher, Mr Winter told the angry crowd to “ignore the words of hate and sing some words of love” and launched into Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 anthem Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Mr Winter has received high praise for his rendition on social media.

The singer, who was raised in foster care and credits his mother – who died when he was just 18 – as his biggest inspiration, wrote on Facebook: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed by everything,” adding he was “speechless” over the positive reaction to the video.