Image: Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Alex Greenwich MP at Mardi Gras by Nick Langley
By Clover Moore and Alex Greenwich
Sydney has long been a sanctuary for LGBTIQA+ communities, standing as a beacon of activism and inclusivity. However, recent events have cast a shadow on our city’s reputation as a haven.
Horrific attacks, both online and in public, have marred the celebration of diversity that defines our community.
In response to these challenges, the City convened the statewide LGBTIQA+ Safety Summit, bringing together voices from across the spectrum of government, academia, and community. LGBTIQA+ leaders shared poignant accounts of pain and discrimination, highlighting failures in our systems of protection and support.
One resounding theme emerged from the summit: the urgent need for collaborative action to ensure the safety and dignity of our rainbow communities into the future.
Recommendations from the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQA+ Hate Crimes underscore the importance of targeted training for law enforcement and the need to combat misinformation and prejudice. Additionally, initiatives such as Qtopia Sydney offer vital educational opportunities to challenge stereotypes and celebrate queer heritage.
It is imperative that we support community-led initiatives, provide resources for legal and emotional support, and invest in pre-bunking strategies to combat discrimination.
As we embark on this journey towards equality and justice, we must also acknowledge the crucial role of legislative action. The Premier must ensure the NSW Parliament passes the Equality Bill, which will remove remaining discrimination in State law. This bill will ensure access to gender affirming state documentation, a model for consent in medical procedures on people with intersex variations, removal of targeted discrimination, including in schools, and a ban on conversion practices.
This legislation is a crucial step forward in enshrining the rights and protections of the LGBTIQA+ community into law. By supporting this bill, we affirm our commitment to ensuring that no individual is denied their fundamental rights based on who they are or who they love.
The past few weeks have been particularly hard for our LGBTIQA+ communities, giving even greater weight and importance to the next steps we take together. In the words of Tuisina Ymania Brown, Co-secretary general of ILGA World, “The tapestry of human rights is woven with threads of diversity, acceptance, and respect for every life to be equal, and freedom. To deny one thread is to unravel the entire fabric of our humanity. In the symphony of life, every voice deserves to be heard, every note cherished. LGBTIQA+rights are the melody that fills the air, reminding us that diversity is the key to harmony.”
In short: we will only be truly safe when we recognise our common humanity and respect, and ensure the rights of all.
Clover Moore is the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and Alex Greenwich is the Member for Sydney in the NSW Parliament
