Make LGBTQI Abuse History - Amnesty International at Mardi Gras 2010, nsw, Amnesty International Australia

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Make LGBTQI Abuse History - Amnesty International at Mardi Gras 2010

Published on 15/03/2010
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Network (NSW)

AIA Activists campaigning to make the abuse of LGBTQI rights history in Mardi Gras parade 2010 © private

Amnesty’s LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex) Network had another resoundingly successful Mardi Gras, culminating in the famous Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday night, 27 February 2010.

Some 200 marchers took their place in our float making it an outstandingly successful turnout for Amnesty on the night.

Extensive media coverage was received for Amnesty on commercial TV networks, pay TV, print media and the Internet. This included a Foxtel live interview with float members which went to air that night on their live coverage of the Parade.

Such a success is only the result of months of planning and hard work by our Network’s dedicated team of volunteers. Our float highlighted the theme of “Make Abuse History”. This dovetailed nicely with the overall Mardi Gras theme - “Mardi Gras’ History of the World” -celebrating our community’s achievements in the quest for equal same-sex human rights down through the ages whilst also highlighting areas of discrimination which still apply both in Australia and in many countries overseas.

The weather was kind with a balmy evening welcoming our activists as they proudly marched some two kilometres up Oxford Street, down Flinders Street and on to Moore Park. The 300,000-strong crowd went wild, recognising and cheering on the hard work Amnesty’s LGBTQI Network does in fighting for same-sex human rights here and around the world. At the conclusion, our volunteers kicked up their heels at the volunteers' after-party carnival at Fox Studios.

The Sunday before the Parade our stall at Mardi Gras Fair Day was our most successful ever, with thousands of letters being signed in support of LGBTQI human rights' actions in Aceh (Indonesis), Malawi and Uganda, and much interest being generated in our Network's work.

A launch night at Amnesty’s NSW Action Centre on the Tuesday before the Parade also was a great success with three guest speakers highlighting the difficulties and discrimination faced by LGBTQI people. Representatives from the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and the Organisation Internationale des Intersexués spoke on human rights' issues concerning (amongst others) same-sex adoption and intersexuality.

All agree that the Parade and the other events leading up to it were a resounding success, achieving significant media coverage both for LGBTQI rights and Amnesty’s fight for recognition of those whose basic human rights have yet to be recognised around the world.