Working across difference

Working across difference

The LGBTI community spans a spectrum of identities as colourful and diverse as the rainbow flag. We make progress on issues which affect us not simply by pretending we are all the same, but only by honestly acknowledging and appreciating our differences.

In recent weeks, differing opinions have appeared in the press concerning the impact of the marriage equality debate on community cohesion.

For some, like Australian Marriage Equality campaign director Rodney Croome, the marriage equality debate has built bridges between parts of our community where none existed previously.

For others, like WA Gender Project secretary Aram Hosie, the divisions — especially relating to issues affecting the trans and intersex communities — remain clear.

Undoubtedly, there are elements of truth to both accounts. In many places we have made great progress — the cooperation across political and community boundaries has been marvellous to behold.

Yet it is also important to listen carefully to those groups facing issues of discrimination completely unrelated to the marriage equality debate.

Even within the debate itself, many of the issues are different (for example, the issue of forced divorce for some sex and/or gender diverse people) but are not always treated with the same level of visibility as others.

What everyone seems to agree on, though, is that the campaign for equal marriage rights has been a formidable political accomplishment which has attracted public attention and support for equality.

The challenge now is to use this momentum and goodwill to address the many broader issues of discrimination many in our community still face.

For our part, the GLRL is committed to pursuing a broad agenda for equality. Starting in July, we will conduct a series of 10 anti-discrimination education workshops funded generously by a Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department Human Rights Education Grant.

The workshops will focus particularly on the issue of intersectional discrimination. That is, we want to understand and address the experiences of those who are not only gay or lesbian, but also come from a particular religious or cultural background, or live in a rural area, or are young, or elderly, or have a disability, or are sex and/or gender diverse. The list could go on.

It is often these people who face more complex issues of discrimination, homophobia and transphobia. It also these voices and issues which can get left behind with the focus on marriage.

In attempting to understand our differences we won’t always get everything right — but if we are open to listening, and learning, there are many more bridges we will build in years to come.

By JUSTIN KOONIN, NSW GLRL

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