Mid last month, Greens MLC Giz Watson joined with the 2006 Pride WA Patron, Jim Morrison, to help spread the word about reconciliation, with the creation of thousands of wristbands embossed with QUEERS FOR RECONICLIATION.

At the beginning of Pride month, the pair sat down and worked out how they could best maximize the decision by Pride WA to appoint Mr Morrison as the Pride Patron, while at the same time tackle the recent appeal to the High Court by both the State and Federal Governments against the Noongar Native Title claim.

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Ms Watson recently told OUTinPerth of the success achieved by producing the Pink, White and Black wristbands.

‘The wristbands have been a great conversation piece and that really is the test for how successful the campaign was.â?

‘The impetus as to why we did the wristbands really is due to the shared oppression and shared discrimination that both queers and the aboriginal community have suffered,â? stated Ms Watson.

Ms Watson noted how tough it has been for the Noongar people who have fought so hard and so long to have their presence of living on the land acknowledged.

‘By producing the wristbands we wanted to highlight the issue and bring focus and debate out into the community.â?

“At a time when the Noongar native title is being contested, the Greens are determined to continue to lend solidarity to the Aboriginal people of WA.

Ms Watson considers that Pride WA should be acknowledged for appointing their second Aboriginal patron; Debra Cheetam being the first, with Mr Morrison being the first West Australian.

‘However, we wanted it to more than just a tokenistic gesture, Jim and I wanted to do a bit of consciousness raising and with wristbands being such a hip and happening thing, we thought, ‘what better way?’ to increase the issues visibility.â?

‘We were also determined to share the message of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Western Australians during the annual Pride Festival.â?

Both Ms Watson and Ms Morrison acknowledge the experience of discrimination is common ground for the Aboriginal and GLBTI communities. The pair also acknowledge the strength that comes from overcoming adversity and the opportunity to build stronger communities that respect human rights and reconciliation.

“We hope this gesture of support will reach as wide an audience as possible, so we can continue to promote the message of equality for all Western Australian,” concluded Ms Watson.