Victoria’s LGBT Organisations Come Together To Take On Far-Right Hate

Forty-five Victorian LGBTQI organisations have come together to demand action against the targeting of queer and drag storytime events in the state by far-right groups and neo-Nazis. 

Since the past year, over 10 events have had to be cancelled or postponed after far-right and neo-Nazi groups targeted council staff, organisers of queer events, performers and community members. 

“We are taking on the responsibility of keeping our communities safe from the rising tide of far-right activism, and we will not stand idly by while the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals to participate fully in society are eroded,” Joe Ball, CEO of Switchboard Victoria said in a statement.

Anti-Vilification Laws

Ball revealed that the alliance had decided to “pool our resources and bring collective action to a crisis we are  already tackling individually.”

The organisations plan to meet the Victorian government with a list of “25 action items, including establishing a reporting system for anti-LGBTIQ+ vilification — so that threats and hate speech can be immediately challenged”. 

Felicity Marlowe, co-founder of Rainbow Community Angels said that the far-right groups were taking inspiration from the happenings in the US and other parts of the world. 

Rainbow Community Angels, was formed in May in response to the rising abuse and attacks that the community faced. The angels said they would “take part in peaceful actions to support community safety at inclusive events like Drag Storytime” whilst wearing magnificent angel wings.

Threats To LGBTQI Community Must Be Opposed

“These very recent attacks, inspired by bigots abroad, threaten to see a return to a time when LGBTIQ+ family events are hard to find at best and at worst cancelled. These threats to LGBTIQ+ participation in community life must be opposed,” said Marlowe. 

The alliance comprises a diverse range of organisations committed to collective action. Among those involved are Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard, Transgender Victoria T(TGV), Midsumma, Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) partners, Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC), Equality Australia, Rainbow Health Australia, Victorian Pride Lobby, Inclusive Rainbow Voices, Minus 18, Victorian Pride Centre, Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC), JOY Media, and Drummond Street Services (DSS).