Tanya Plibersek’s pledge for the Star Observer

LABOR’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek has publicly backed the Star Observer’s fundraising campaign, joining MPs and Senators from across the political spectrum including her ALP colleague Senator Penny Wong.

Last night, the federal Sydney MP confirmed she has also made a donation to the crowdfunding initiative being run through the Pozible website.

The Star Observer, which is Australia’s longest established news publication for the LGBTI community, is looking to raise funds ahead of a deadline of 3pm today.

Plibersek said she was supporting the not-for-profit publication because it was “an important voice” for the LGBTI community.

“For 35 years, the Star Observer has been there for the community, now’s our chance to show we’re here for them,” she said.

“I was happy to donate.  I hope you will, too.”

Plibersek said independent community newspapers were “a vital part of Australia’s media landscape, providing frank and fearless coverage of the issues that matter”.

The Deputy Opposition Leader has been a strong supporter of LGBTI rights and has previously told the Star Observer of her hopes to introduce a bill to legalise same sex marriage once Liberal MPs are given a free vote.

Yesterday evening, Labor Senate Leader Penny Wong tweeted her support of the campaign to her 80,000 followers.

In supporting the campaign, Plibersek and Wong join fellow Labor politicians Terri Butler, Andrew Leigh and Penny Sharpe; Liberal councillor Christine Forster; Greens Senators Christine Milne and Lee Rhiannon, NSW MLCs Trevor Khan from the Nationals and Mehreen Faruqi of the Greens, Victoria’s Prahran state Liberal MP Clem Newton-Brown, and Sydney state independent MP Alex Greenwich.

This morning, the appeal surpassed its target $75,000 and was hovering just beneath the $100,000 mark at the time of print, and donations can still be made until just past 3pm today at http://www.pozible.com/project/185044.