The recent 2020 Summit that gathered leaders from a wide variety of areas in Canberra to discuss future reforms in Australia has been described alternatively as revolutionary and inspiring and as a blatant media and political stunt. Some delegates came away raving about the opportunity to participate and the outcomes that emerged, whilst others claimed that participation was limited and the priorities carefully stage managed. Endeavoring to get an insider’s take on the Summit, Aram Hosie spoke to two of the delegates – Shelly Argent OAM, the national spokesperson for PFLAG, and Brett Solomon, the Executive Director of online activist organization GetUp!.

SHELLEY ARGENT

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Shelley’s son came out as gay when he was in year 12, and since then she has been active with the Queensland AIDS Council and PFLAG. Her awareness raising efforts have earned her the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Tasmanian gay rights activist Rodney Croome nominated Shelley to attend the Summit, and while there, she participated in the stream entitled ‘Strengthening communities and supporting working families’.

In preparation for the Summit, Shelley sought to consult individually with other gay and lesbian activists. As a result, she felt like she went into the Summit with a lot of hope riding on her shoulders. ‘It was quite stressful, I felt like I didn’t want to leave having let anyone down,’ she said. However, as it turns out, she was not the sole voice on gay rights issues.

‘In the end, the issue of same-sex civil unions was raised by an Anglican Minister in the group, not me. The conversation was about civil unions as different to marriage but affording exactly the same legal recognition, and it was overwhelmingly supported. In fact, when civil unions by 2020 did not appear on the on the priority list on the Summit report, I had several people in the group contacting me, wanting to know what had happened to it.’ (A spokesperson from MP Tanya Plibersek’s office confirmed that civil unions had been left off the priority list as an editorial oversight and would be included in the final list of priorities due out in approximately a month’s time.)

For Shelley Argent, the Summit was an opportunity to have direct conversations with elected officials about gay rights. She targeted Anthony Albanese, Leader of the House of Representatives, who reaffirmed to her his pre-election commitment that Labor would move to end the economic discrimination faced by same-sex couples by the end of 2008.

A highlight of the Summit for Shelley was the chance to make the case for the recognition of same-sex parents whilst the Prime Minister was sitting behind her. ‘I got the chance to speak at length about the issues. He was sitting behind me, so I couldn’t see his reaction, but everyone else in the room was nodding and agreeing, so he would have been able to see that there was widespread support for what I was saying.’

While Shelley has noted disappointment that there was no mention of homelessness, racism or transgender issues at the Summit, she is decidedly upbeat about the experience.

‘I think it’s a matter of sitting back now and waiting to see how the Prime Minister will act. I am hopeful that he will follow up the priority recommendations, and there are already good things coming out of the conference… Regardless of what the Summit itself produces now or in the future, there are opportunities to use the networks and contacts made during the Summit to progress issues right now.’

BRETT SOLOMON

Prior to his current role with GetUp!, Brett Solomon founded the International Youth Parliament with Oxfam and worked as a Campaign Coordinator with Amnesty International Australia. Buoyed by the success of GetUp!, he has also cofounded a global online activist organisation – Avaaz.org. Brett applied directly to the Summit organisers to attend, and not surprisingly, was welcomed with open arms.

Brett went into the Summit concerned with quite broad issues and armed with other people’s ideas – having run a forum through GetUp. He took these ideas with him into the Governance stream, which according to Brett was a perfect fit – ‘it’s all about the relationship between us, and the people we elect.’

Brett’s main message was the need for a Statutory Charter of Human Rights in Australia, as a catch-all measure to ensure that legislation serves to protect and uphold the rights of Australian citizens. ‘It’s something that has real significance for the gay and lesbian community,’ he reflected, ‘for example, if we had a Charter now, the 58 piece of discriminatory legislation would be required to be amended.’

Looking back on the Summit, Brett said, ‘it was an awesome thing to be in a room with so many extraordinary people, people who were able to passionately articulate their arguments… Some of the things discussed at the Summit are real nation building, nation changing stuff – like the Republic, a Charter of Rights and amending the Constitution to recognise Indigenous people as the first Australians. GetUp! is going to run with those things, take action now to help facilitate long term change.’