EXCLUSIVE: Linda Scott’s promise to make the T2 building an LGBTI museum
Image: Councillor Linda Scott outside the T2 building. Photo: Supplied
CITY of Sydney mayor hopeful, Linda Scott, has vowed to create an LGBTI specific museum at the rundown T2 building at Taylor Square if she wins the upcoming council elections.
The Labor Party’s Scott has promised to use some of the city’s $63 million surplus to transform the iconic building into a centre dedicated to LGBTI history.
“Sydney’s history is the home of so much of Australia’s LGBTIQ history and stories, from the first Mardi Gras through to our giant rainbow flag in Taylor Square,” she told Star Observer.
“It’s an area that’s very iconic… this building should be kept in public hands, saved and converted into a LGBTIQ museum. Significant materials exist now that could be of use for a museum for the community.”
Much debate has occurred about what to do with the two-storey building after the nightclub it housed, Manacle, was closed down in 2009 for being a long-term centre of violence and anti-social behaviour in the area.
Sydney city councillor Angela Vithoulkas first proposed the idea of a Mardi Gras museum being constructed in the building, while long-serving mayor Clover Moore had advocated for a bicycle hub to be developed at T2.
“The city has left the building vacant for many years and the lack of investment meant it’s in a very poor state,” Scott said.
“Labor would commit to funding it, and converting into a museum. I’m open to the idea of whether it’s community run or run by the council.”
Scott passed a council motion in 2014 for the council to begin storing and documenting artefacts of Sydney’s LGBTI community, which according to the councillor means “the groundwork has been laid” to establish a museum at T2.
Other LGBTI policy platforms Scott is promoting ahead of the September elections is to distribute a ‘rainbow families kit’ to parents, schools, child care centres, health care providers and other service providers.
“It’s important to make sure when someone’s daughter goes to enrol in school there is a form that doesn’t have space that just identifies male and female parents,” she said.
“It is important to make a difference for rainbow families and be a leader and make sure information is available for service providers to make sure they’re doing the right thing to be inclusive.”
The City of Sydney council election will be held on Saturday September 10.
Well done Linda Scott for a positive contribution to improving the pink hue of Oxford Street.
Linda’s support for a LGBTI museum is long overdue recognition that LGBTI have a shared history – the first MG of 1978, the battle for decriminalisation, the battle against HIV/Aids.
It will also be a place to celebrate our successes – like the first couple to marry when Australia finally gets marriage equality.
I wonder how Ms Scott, as Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney with no responsibility for schools, is going to get the NSW Department of Education, religious and private schools to change their enrolment forms to accommodate rainbow families. Good luck with that reform given what happens to Safe Schools.
As a homosexual person I think she’s an idiot, if there’s money to burn, throw it around in vote bribes how about putting it into important infrastructure like building more affordable housing, my self like many other BIGLT people amongst others of the wider community have been waiting years for suitable housing, I get so fed up with all the political opportunism at the expense of the housing needy, I think her thinking is abit queer I certainly wouldn’t vote for the moron