Kirby urges community to support LGBTI human rights group

LGBTI human rights organisation Kaleidoscope Australia has launched a fundraising campaign, with patron and former High Court judge Michael Kirby urging the community to donate.

Kaleidoscope is a not-for-profit organisation working on human rights issues for LGBTI people, with a focus on those living in the Asia Pacific region. Along with raising awareness of these issues in the region, Kaleidoscope also engages directly with the United Nations Human Rights Committee and Council and works with local organisations to build their capacity to tackle human rights issues relating to LGBTI people.

In a video message to encourage donations, Kirby argued one of the strengths of the organisation was in its focus beyond the borders of the country, and in getting Australians to engage with LGBTI people in the global community as a whole.

“Australians are not going to be just looking at their own backyard, but are going to be concerned with the whole world,” Kirby said.

“It’s a sad thing to say that in 41 of the 54 countries of the Commonwealth nations…the laws that criminalise sexual minorities, particularly gay men, are still in place. In fact we seem to have reached a logjam. We seem to have reached a point where nothing much is happening, and that is a matter of concern.”

Kaleidoscope Australia president Dr Paula Gerber said the organisation has previously relied on anonymous donations by individuals in the community.

Visit www.kaleidoscopeaustralia.com for more information or donations can be made here.