LGBTQIA+ Pride Month takes place every year in June, commemorating the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, which sparked the Gay Rights Movement. In the past few years, gay rights have come a long way in Australia, but there’s still a long way to go. We’re living in a country where homosexuality was legalised in 1975, only in South Australia, the last state to legalise was Tasmania in 1997. This seems absolutely crazy now given the growing gay culture in our country, but in reality, Australia has a long history of LGBTQIA+ discrimination.
Although we legalised gay marriage back in 2017, there are still discriminatory laws against the LGBTQIA+ community. The impending Religious Discrimination Bill for example, will legally allow employers, medical professionals and others to deny LGBTQIA+ persons employment and care, based on religious grounds. Many trans people around Australia also face challenges in basic administrative law such as changing their gender on their ID documents. These laws contribute to the poor mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ persons, especially young people.
The Gay Rights Movement is not over, so this month we can celebrate the victories of the movement and challenge ourselves to keep fighting discrimination.
How to Get Behind the Movement
Donate, Donate, Donate
- The Equality Project supports all members of the LGBTQIA+ community including people of colour, women, Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and immigrants through health and social welfare programs. They also run workshops and conferences which educate community advocates and leaders of other LGBTQIA+ organisations
- Queerspace provides low or no cost counselling services for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. They also have a huge variety of programs, including mentoring, family violence services, employment and volunteer programs specific to LGBTQIA+ persons and stacks of information relating to the LGBTQIA+ community
Talk to Politicians, Make Yourself Heard
- Never be afraid to send an email to your local MP and express yourself on issues that are important to you. Equality Australia has an awesome guide on how to construct letters to parliament, using the ‘Fight the Religious Discrimination Bill’ as an example. Here’s a list of every Australian MP’s contact details
- Don’t underestimate the power of social media. In a survey conducted by the New York Times, 85% of people say that reading posts shared by their peers helps them to understand and process information in a more meaningful way, you never know whose perspective you can challenge by simply sharing a post on your insta story!
- Speak up! If you ever witness bullying or discrimination, whether its at school, work or a party it’s always worth letting the person know that what they’re saying or doing is making people uncomfortable. It may even be the first time someone has been criticised for using certain words and standing up for discriminated communities will encourage them to question their actions
Given what’s currently happening around the world with the Black Lives Matter movement and Pride Month Rallies, many people feel overwhelmed with a huge influx of information, and don’t know the best course of action to help. It’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself to change the world, but to recognise that collective action is key. There’s no wrong or right way to help the LGBTQIA+ community, so do whatever you can and what works for you and your situation. Even through starting conversations about gay rights and expanding your own horizons through different media content, you’re helping to end the battle against discrimination of the LGBTQIA+ community.