Another rally as inquiry begins

This Sunday’s gay rights rally at Sydney Town Hall will be a huge active submission to the Senate committee investigating the federal ban on same-sex marriage and overseas adoption, organisers say.

There is just one week left to make submissions to the Senate committee, with the deadline falling on Friday 30 July. Several hundred submissions have reportedly been received already.

The committee will present their findings on the pros and cons of same-sex marriage and overseas adoptions to parliament on Thursday 7 October.

The NSW Gay And Lesbian Rights Lobby is urging the GLBTQ community to make submissions before it is too late.

This Senate inquiry is an important opportunity for us to tell parliament about the reality of our relationships and our families, Lobby co-convenor Somali Cerise said.

It’s crucial that we tell our stories of how discrimination affects our everyday lives.

Lobby co-convenor Rob McGrory added, Anyone in our community can make a submission. You don’t have to know a lot about this bill or the law. Personal stories are very influential to politicians. Community members should talk about their personal experiences of discrimination and how the lack of legal recognition affects them. Politicians need to know the everyday impact of inequality.

This Sunday’s Town Hall rally has been organised by Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH).
Speakers at the rally will include gay rights activist Rodney Croome, Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore, Labor MP Tanya Plibersek, Alex Day from the Canterbury Bankstown District Gay And Lesbian Social Club and others.

CAAH are handing out leaflets in bars and clubs this week to promote the rally, which begins at 1pm.

A forum on same-sex marriage will be held after the rally from 6pm at the Newington Inn Hotel, Petersham. Speakers include Croome, Day, former Rights Lobby committee member Bernard Ryan and Socialist Alliance Senate candidate Kylie Moon.

The last gay rights rally held on 26 June was organised by the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and attracted a crowd of around 700. The Lobby has not endorsed Sunday’s rally.