Saturday the 17th of May marked IDAHOBIT Day, (or International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. On the day a crowd assembled in Perth’s Murray Street Mall to rally for the legalisation of same sex marriage.
Miranda Wood chaired the rally, introducing the speeches and leading the crowd in a march through Murray and Hay Street. She told OUTinPerth she was pleased with the turnout.
“I thought it was fabulous. It’s always great to see people of all different stripes coming out in support of equal marriage. It’s the one thing that people are unequivocally for in Australia. And I think it shows just how behind the times politicians are and that they’re on the wrong side of the issue.
“It’s something that’s received that much attention in the media recently but still, people are willing to come out.”
Curtin University’s Queer Officer Emily Kingsley made a speech about how the legalisation of same sex marriage will lead to further acceptance of the LGBT community.
Greens Member for the South Metropolitan Region Legislative Council of WA Lynn MacLaren also spoke at the event, speaking about how she aims to fight intolerance towards the LGBT community, and her support for the bill introduced last week to honour overseas same sex marriages.
Lynn MacLaren had this to say: “It always attracts a good crowd and I think the fact that it’s in Murray Street Mall will attract a lot of attention. So that’s important. It’s important to take space right in the centre of our city. It’s a problem of invisibility so the more visible our rally is the better.
“It’s coming together to acknowledge that transphobic and homophobic violence is still a problem in our culture and that we won’t stand for it. So here, my goal is to speak out for peace and acceptance and moving forward together and just respecting each other.
More photos of the event are available here.
Sophie Joske
