Pride heads to Newcastle

Pride heads to Newcastle

Members of Newcastle and the Hunter Region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are set to get ‘shirty’ at the local launch of a new national education campaign about same-sex law reform.

In July last year, the Federal Government amended 85 pieces of legislation which discriminated against same-sex couples in areas such as employee entitlements, privacy rights, tax, superannuation, child support and insurance. The new education campaign aims to increase awareness and understanding of these reforms among members of Australia’s LGBT community.

Called Wear It With Pride, the campaign is based around a series of 85 designer T-shirts, with each shirt linked to one of the 85 historic reforms. Organisers are encouraging same-sex couples and other LGBT community members to learn more about their new rights and responsibilities by visiting the campaign website – wearitwithpride.com.au – and finding out which ‘shirts’ fit them.

ACON Regional Services Manager Shannon Wright says she hopes the campaign will inspire local LGBT community members to find out more about the new laws.

“Despite the continuing debate around same-sex marriage and adoption, these new laws represent an important milestone for human rights in this country, an achievement of which we can all be proud,” Wright said.

“They also mean a range of new and amended entitlements for same-sex couples, so I encourage all local LGBT community members to visit the website or to contact ACON’s Hunter office for more information about the impact these new laws will have on their lives.”

Lots of famous Australians are involved in the project either as designers or ambassadors including singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte, television personality Ruby Rose, Ch 7 presenter Kylie Gillies, fashion designers Charlie Brown and Henry Roth, Ch 9 presenter Richard Reid, former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps, renowned Indigenous arts practitioner Noel Tovey and the highest-ranking lesbian in the Australian Defence Force, Air Commodore Tracy Smart.

The Hunter launch of the campaign will be feature a family friendly BBQ attended by Hunter Community Legal Centre Anthony Steel who will be available to answer any questions about the law reforms. Wear It With Pride Campaign Coordinator Corey Irlam will also be on hand to answer questions about the campaign.

info: Wear It With Pride’s Newcastlew launch will be held on Saturday, April 17, 11am–1pm at Gregson Park, Hamilton and is free. For more information: ACON Hunter office on (02) 4927 6808

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