Rainbow Territory is very conscious that this is an election year. While some great ground work has been done in 2015, this year is a time where there is a lot of momentum for change, but we need help to make it happen. Rainbow Territory needs you to join and get active. Our community continues to be discriminated against. The national focus is on marriage equality, but even if that is changed our community will continue to be discriminated against under NT law, in employment, adoption, access to IVF. Services for trans people, young people and others in our community will continue to be unfunded or ignored. This can change if we get organised:
Some of Rainbow Territory’s work in 2015
- Made a submission to the review of the NT Domestic and Family Violence Act which highlighted LGBTIQ people’s experience of domestic and family violence, including young LGBTIQ people who are subject to family violence while still living at home
- Did some not very sexy, but important internal work on processes, strategy, governance and working together
- Built a boat and sailed it in the Beer Can Regatta with support from Throb, Darwin Pride NTAHC, and lots of lady muscles from the community. The team also won the women’s tug of war and raised the flag for equality in the national news
- Made a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission on LGBTQI experiences in the NT
- Consulted with the community through a 100+ survey and an equality forum at the Darwin Pride Festival, and did fundraising and public stalls raising awareness about discrimination in the NT
- Worked with service providers in Darwin to improve support for young LGBTQI people in Darwin
- Continued to promote www.outnt.info to provide community connection and information to LGBTQI people in the NT. This has resulted in new arrivals getting more quickly connected to the community and helped existing NTers be connected and informed
What is next for 2016? Come to the next Rainbow Territory meeting or get-together to find out how to get involved and organised