Rainbow Territory at Seabreeze festival 6 May

Rainbow Territory will be having a community stall at Seabreeze. It will be selling famous iced tea, a big batch of donated CDs, and books and other items to raise funds for campaigning this year. Drop by for chat or to pick up a cool drink and cool tunes.

We would love to have some help from the community to do the stall. If you want to volunteer to help person the stall please get in touch

Email: lgbtqi2014nt@gmail.com

Newsletter 14: Hello + new year, new terms

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This is the fourteenth newsletter from OUT NT.

Hello.

At the start of last year this occasional newsletter used “New Year New Territory” as a kick off for 2015. Do you think the Territory changed between then and now? What will it look like in 2017 after an NT election and a federal election?

Some wonderful things happened during 2015, made possible by hardworking groups and individuals.

  • Darwin had its first ever float in the Sydney Mardi Gras thanks to Departure Lounge, NTAHC, fundraising, and bloody hard work
  • Alice Springs Pride Carnivale did it again with its wonderful pride program
  • Sisters and Brothers NT have been inspiring people and speaking out stronglyfor brotherboys and sister girls, included imprisoned trans people in the NT
  • NTAHC supported our community in big and small ways, including older LGBTQI people
  • Que Kenny became a central Australian radio star on Nurnakah show with some help from Star lady who is now a TEDx star
  • Darwin Pride Festival celebrated 30 years of Pride with an outstanding history exhibition, art of pride, and lots of other events including a pride ride
  • Rainbow Territory has continued its work and is madly recruiting in an election year (more on this below), also going in the iconic beer can regatta
  • Dino Hodge helped to colour the rainbow launching a collection of blak queer trans stories
  • A Darwin lesbian won NT mother of the year
  • NT people are connecting with each other socially, through activism, and collaboration – making the most of this big, small and beautiful place.

All of these actions (and many others not mentioned) change and shape the Territory to make it a place where our community wants to live. 2016 is your opportunity to get involved and get active. If you are going to provide a politician with a new term this year, make sure it is on your terms.

A little bit of Territory history: Why the boat got made

It was like any other Friday arvo.

I was sitting down with an icy cold XXXX Gold in hand, watching the sprinkler water my grass.

I finished the can and threw it basketball style towards the bin. Miss.

The sun glistened on it and that’s when I heard ‘if you build it Cher will come.’

I jumped out of my seat frankly looking for one of my house mates, but no one was there.

Arhhhh must be hearing things.

A week passed and again, like all Fridays, I sat down with my icy cold XXXX Gold and watched the sprinkler water my grass.

I finished the can and again took a shot at the bin. Swish, no rim; that’s in.

Three beers in however, I missed and again with the sun glisinling on the can I heard ‘if you build it Cher will come.’

I knew what I had to do. Luckily it was the week of the Rainbow Territory meeting. So on the Tuesday I flew into the Frog’s Hollow Community Centre my arms raised telling them my story. They looked at me with wonder (not the good kind, the kind you give to someone who is going cuckoo). But it was ok my good mate Hande stood up and shouted ‘I will join you!’

So it began, two mates on the beer can boat building adventure to get Cher to come!

We saved our cans, bought a bag from Down syndrome NT and we siliconed the cans together. It was a gruelling task and expensive. As we were coming to realise we may have swallowed more than we can chew, a team of fellow Cher lovers walked through the gate.

  1. ‘We have heard of your adventure and have come to lend a hand.’ There was an army of lesbians willing to help and a club called Throb willing to part with some cash. (There was also my roommate and her boyfriend but they don’t really fit into the story.) There we stayed gluing cans together, quenching our thirst with cans of drink, until; masterpiece! (Well not really, we needed more cans which now you get money for them no one wants to part with.) But we were happy!

So if you happen to see Cher wondering around this beach, point her this way we have some dancing to do!

‘If I could turn back time, if I could find my way. I’ll take back all those words that hurt you and you’d stay,

I don’t know why I did the things I did. I don’t know why I said the things I said.

Pride’s like a knife it can cut deep inside,

Words are like weapons they wound sometimes.

I didn’t really mean to hurt you. I didn’t wanna see you go. I know I made you cry, but baby’

 

 

 

 

 

Dine and Prance – Alice Pride fundraiser

Alice Pride continue their fundraising to put on the Pride festival this year. Get your bee-hind down to The Memo Club this Saturday. An official Alice Springs Pride Carnivale Fundraising event hosted by The Memo Club.

Saturday 23 of May at 6:00pm

Come and join for a night of dining and entertainment with live music, special guests, fun frivolities, raffles and DJ’s. Welcome drinks and a 3 course meal, with entertainment all night long.

$30 presale at the Memo Club, or $35 on the door. Bring some change for frivolities.

This event is open to the whole community of Alice Springs, the Central Desert and Visitors. We aim to develop safe and inclusive spaces free from discrimination.

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/940026072716667/

Community survey nearing 100 respondents

Over the past three months, the Rainbow Territory Community Survey has been a great success with 95 Territorians participating. There is still time to let us know what you think about living, as a LGBTIQ person, in the NT.

What laws would you like to see changed?
Have you experienced discrimination?
Would you like to see more social events?

Even if you have completed to survey, you can help by asking friends, family members, and colleagues to participate, and sharing it on social media. The survey can accessed here

Fundraiser: Drag queen bingo

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The LGBTQI community and its allies joined together on Wednesday the 21st of January at Drag Queen Bingo Fundraiser. The packed out and fun filled event was supported by the Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council and The Departure Lounge, and aimed to raise funds for Darwin’s first ever Mardi Gras Float.

The Darwin Mardi Gras float has reached capacity, but the team are still fundraising. For more information contact party passport@me.com or through Facebook Departure Lounge.

Photo credit: Monsoons