Two prominent members of the New South Wales’ lesbian and gay community, Dr Shirleene Robinson and Paul Van Reyk, will be guest speakers at this year’s Blue Mountains IDAHOT public commemoration.
Dr Robinson is NSW Co-Convenor of Australian Marriage Equality - and an historian at Macquarie University focusing on gay and lesbian history.
Mr Van Reyk is a long-time activist in HIV/AIDS strategies, anti-discrimination policy and law reform. He is now turning his attention to the rights of LGBTIQ Seniors.
Speaking ahead of their visit Mr Van Reyk thanked the Blue Mountains community for its overwhelming support in last year’s marriage equality plebiscite. He noted that Australia now joins more than 20 other countries where gay marriage is legal.
This year’s IDAHOT activities are supported by the Blue Mountains City Council.
Blue Mountains’ 78-ers, those people who participated in the 1978 Sydney Mardi Gras, will raise the Rainbow Flag during the event.
Dr Robinson applauded Blue Mountains Council for its solidarity and support of LGBTIQ people over many years.
She will speak at IDAHOT on the contribution of lesbians in the Australian military.
“The official position was that gays and lesbians were not allowed to serve in the military in Australia until 1992 when the Keating government lifted the ban. Since 2010 transgender people have also been able to serve in the military openly,” said Dr Robinson.
“Nonetheless, there certainly were LGBTIQ people in the military before it was legal. Lesbians faced a double challenge: to hide their sexuality and to deal with discrimination as women,” she said.
“I look forward, at IDAHOT, to telling the story of how many lesbians lived their lives in the military during that time. It is a story with a lot of heart.”
Paul Van Reyk’s involvement in LGBTIQ community organisations over several decades has given him insights into what contributes to building resilience in communities.
“This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service in New South Wales,” said Mr Van Reyk.
“The service was born because we in the LGBTIQ community realised there were still many people fearful of disclosing their sexuality. As well as supporting LGBTIQ people face-to-face or on the telephone, the counselling service became a way of drawing isolated gay people into the community, helping them come out to their families, educating them about their rights, engaging them politically, giving them the courage to claim those rights – in the workplace for example.”
Mr Van Reyk said that many in the LGBTIQ community also had the support of organisations like the union movement, community legal centres and women’s refuges, among others.
“When many parents found out their children were LGBTIQ they joined groups such as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), to publicly support the rights of their children,” Mr Van Reyk said.
“What happens in active communities is that people network, and what I call cross-solidarity happens. I was heartened, when participating in this year’s Gay Mardi Gras, to see 78-ers carrying placards in support of refugees on Manus Island and Nauru. Many of us belong to many communities in our lives,” Mr Van Reyk said.
Blue Mountains City Councillor and IDAHOT committee member, Romola Hollywood, also took up this year’s theme.
“It reminds us that building strong, inclusive communities is an ongoing endeavour. It is something we can contribute to as individuals or as members of many active community groups and institutions in the Blue Mountains,” said Cr Hollywood.
IDAHOT - which stands for the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia - is observed globally on May 17 each year, marking the date in 1990 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases list. This year’s IDAHOT theme worldwide is “alliances for solidarity”.
Members of the community are warmly invited to commemorate IDAHOT on Thursday May 17 from 10am-noon in Civic Place, Katoomba. Morning tea is from 10-11am. Guest speakers and raising of the Rainbow Flag will be from 11am-noon.