Message of gay pride to greet Russian president Vladimir Putin at Brisbane G20 summit

Message of gay pride to greet Russian president Vladimir Putin at Brisbane G20 summit

A SYMBOL of tolerance and diversity will feature heavily during the upcoming G20 Summit in Brisbane later this year, with one particular, pink-sequinned message unofficially being directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman announced plans this week to unveil a Hollywood-style “Brisbane” sign (artist’s impression pictured above) to stand in the city’s Southbank promenade during November’s summit, with the Brisbane Pride Festival (BPF) granted input into designing the first letter.

Each letter has been designated to different cultural and ethnic groups from across the state in an effort to display Queensland’s diversity as a part of the summit’s cultural celebrations, according to Brisbane Pride president Peter Black.

“Its creation and decoration is about a collaboration of the different elements of the Brisbane community and it is focused on celebrating Brisbane’s cultural and social diversity in our own back-yard.” Black told the Star Observer.

Plans to adorn the “B” with bright pink sequins will give Queensland a chance to make a statement, according to Newman.

“We’ve got to make a statement about who we are, what we stand for, what we believe,” he told the media.

“We’re a tolerant, culturally diverse community. We’re all very proud of that and that’s important.”

While not officially designed to be an affront to the Russian leader  whose government has enforced so-called “gay propaganda” laws across Russia  the prominent placement of a symbol for the LGBTI community is a message that Black wouldn’t mind Putin being faced with.

“While that has never been the stated objective of the Brisbane sign or our involvement in it, the thought that it in some small way may send a message to Vladimir Putin is certainly one we welcome,” Black said.

“The way in which Russia treats its LGBTIQ community is abhorrent, and any symbolic gesture that promotes tolerance and inclusiveness is important.”

With the history that Queensland’s LGBTI community has had with Newman – including his Coalition government’s scaling back of civil unions to “registered relationships” and attempts to criminalise altruistic same-sex surrogacy – the opposition has questioned why the Premier decided to include the LGBTI community in the G20 celebrations.

“It shouldn’t take the G20 to make Mr Newman acknowledge Queensland’s LGBTI community,” South Brisbane state Labor MP Jackie Trad told the Star Observer.

“Mr Newman can’t just offer up small, token gestures for media stunts.

“He needs to do more to repair the damage caused by the extremely conservative views that pervade his government and their decision-making.”

A spokesperson for the Premier told the Star Observer that he was fervent supporter of LGBTI Queenslanders and wanted to use the opportunity presented by the G20 to showcase many different communities from the state.

“The Premier wanted to include every kind of organisation and community in Queensland as he could through the ‘Brisbane’ sign project,” the spokesperson said.

“Everyone is represented equally.”

Black said it was “significant” that Brisbane Pride and LGBTI Queenslanders were invited to be involved in the cultural celebrations during the summit.

“The LGBTIQ community is an important part of the wider community in Queensland, and this acknowledges that,” he said.

“Ultimately being one of the groups associated with the Brisbane sign for the G20 Cultural Celebrations is a great honour for the Brisbane Pride Festival and represents the important role the LGBTIQ community plays within the wider Brisbane community.”

Australia has been under pressure to ban Putin from attending the summit following questions of his involvement with the recent tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over a Russian-supported separatist area of Ukraine.

 

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8 responses to “Message of gay pride to greet Russian president Vladimir Putin at Brisbane G20 summit”

  1. I prefer that Putin comes to the G20 meeting so nations can talk directly to him and explain their many concerns. I also hope that any protests be kept to a minimum so we don’t dilute our message and so he understands that we are rational human beings. I read in another blog that the only way a conflict can be resolved is through education or elimination. Therefore negotiation is really the most powerful and civilized tool we have for resolution.

  2. It is admirable that Qld Premier Campbell Newman is supporting gays both here and internationally by this gesture, however when he first came into power, his government dismantled all the proposed Bills advocating improved gay rights that the previous Labor government under Premier Anna Bligh had spent great time and effort drafting.

  3. oh and 1 one important letter missing
    but inherrant in the Newman Govt. charade
    W for WINDOW DRESSING
    what a fraud Newman oh sorry NEW MAN and his govt. are
    I should think Putin will be very much at home since QLD got rid of its house of review its upper house and now has a complete dictatorship with only 1 govt. chamber. 1 premier . 1 state . 1 reich!

  4. Australia bodies lay scattered across the Ukraine fields. They rot, waiting a final resting place. Their bodies have been looted by the killers- the Russian sponsored terrorist. We cannot bring our loved ones home, so it is difficult to understand why a terrorist nation, Russia, is allowed onto Australian soil, and president Putin, is put up in luxury five star hotels at our expense. In Russia, reporters who question the president suffer horrific deaths, abroad, in the UK, people have been poisoned. GLBTI people face government sponsored genocide in Russia.

    It is deeply disturbing the current LNP leadership is welcomming president Putin. Asking to decorate a sign, does not do anything against the symbolism of the Australians Government welcomming those who committ acts of terror against Australians. Putin does not care about GLBTI people, for him, he has simply created moral panic, in the persuit of power. This time it is GLBTI people, next time it could be people with a disability or people of the Jewish faith. History has many like Putin.

    • @ YO
      B
      Broken rites-church abuse suffererers forum

      R
      Reprehensible-moving of paedo priests from parish to parish

      I
      Incredible-in the middle of 2 royal commissions on kiddie fiddling having the nerve to lecture gay parents about their ability to raise children

      S
      Slimy-making church victims feels they are just as dirty as the perpetrators
      by endless questioning and disbelieving and pauper payouts

      B
      Bogus_ an an imaginary friend from a 2000 year old book that tells you how to live on earth despite not physically being here

      A
      Anti discrimination, whilst all this is playing out successfully lobbying the Gillard govt. to exempt taxpayer funded religious schools hospitals social services from the new federal anti discrimination law so once again the major discriminators are exempt from bigotry and the law

      N
      Newman Govt. closing gay health service clinic , winding back civil unions, maintaining a different gay age of consent, re changing civil law to re include the terms “buggery” and “sodomy” to make mockery of homogenital sex

      E
      Enlightened? the gospel of peace of Jesus Christ is a far cry from what we have from religion today..polluting its filth thru the scripture union in our public schools which are meant to be seperate from religious schools