On May 26 at Wellington Square in East Perth, a sizeable crowd gathered to commemorate Sorry Day and the 10th anniversary of the Bringing Them Home Report.
The day included guest speakers, music, and an evening social of karaoke (fondly referred to as Noongaraoke). Kate George, who was part of the Stolen Generation, was one of the featured speakers for the day. In one of the day’s most moving speeches, she relayed her personal experiences to the crowd, ‘I still experience the sensation from time to time that goes back to the 14 years I spent at Sister Kate’s. It is the same sensation that former home kids would understand. Saturdays would be the day that some of us would be allowed to go out on our own… out into a situation like we are all in at the moment. And I still get that feeling on occasion that I am actually free.’
A number of community groups set up stalls, including Queers 4 Reconciliation who provided free tea and coffee to the approximately 40 members of the queer community who attended Sorry Day.
Queer 4 Reconciliation’s Jim Morrison attributed the community support to the work the group has done in the build-up to Sorry Day, running workshops on Tuesday nights. He told OUTinPerth, ‘Reconciliation is about understanding. Reconciliation is about understanding between black and white queers, but also about having a broader impact because white Australians generally don’t understand Aboriginal history. What is important is for Queers 4 Reconciliation to understand those issues and to influence their families.’
