Trans protesters flood Sydney’s CBD demanding more ‘rights’ and tougher anti-discrimination laws

Around 400 supporters poured into Sydney Town Hall on Sunday afternoon calling for more rights for transgender people.

The large-scale event celebrated the 45th anniversary of Sydney’s first Mardi Gras march on June 24, 1978, as well as the 1978 Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969 after the violent police raid on a New York gay bar.

The coalition of trans rights and community groups including the Rainbow Rights Coalition, Safe Schools, the United Workers Union and Community Action for Rainbow Rights, Pride in Protest and the NSW Civil Liberties Council demanded tougher anti-discrimination laws to protect trans people when applying for work or housing , or access to healthcare and education.

They also called for the Safe Schools program to be reinstated to teach students about gender diversity and to allow trans people to identify as their chosen gender without undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Prior to the Trans Rights are Human Rights rally, Rainbow Rights Coalition spokesperson Rachel Evans said the group had received threatening phone calls with blocked dialed IDs, which she believed came from right-wing groups.

They contained homophobic and life-threatening taunts, including messages such as: ‘You guys are a bunch of assholes, we’re here to kill you,’ Ms Evans said.

Ms Evans said the organization would check for further threats and had not yet contacted police.

“In my experience, I’ve had death threats organizing queer actions, and I’ve called the police and they’ve done nothing about it,” she said. to the police.’

Activist, and a 78er – a term given to those who took part in the original Sydney Mardi Gras parade in 1978 – Jess Hooley called for bodily autonomy.

“Trans people claim the right to choose to live according to our genders by claiming ownership of our bodies,” she said.

This is the same battle that feminists are waging. They are battles for rational self-determination and bodily autonomy.’

She called on LGBTQI+ supporters to come together, without any ‘hierarchy or status’.

So my friends, what we need to do is we need to have solidarity across a whole range of differences. We must have different alliances,” she said.

Earlier this week, Sydney Independent MP Alex Greenwich announced his intention to introduce an omnibus equality bill that aims to ban gay conversion therapy, allow teens over the age of 16 to change their sex and sex without surgery, and the tighten consent laws for intersex people.

Coinciding with Pride Month, Mr Greenwich said his proposed equality bill, due to be introduced later this year, will work to ‘make a trans person’s life easier’.

“Since I debated this legislation across Parliament, I welcome the open hearts and open minds that so many have spoken to me,” he said.

“This is a state that truly values ​​and cares about LGBTQI+ citizens, and it’s about time our state’s laws reflect that.

“NSW is currently lagging behind every other state and territory and with this bill we have a chance to really lead.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said his government has yet to confirm whether it will support all aspects of the bill.

‘We’re looking at it closely. We are not yet ready to announce the government’s response to all aspects of the bill as it stands, but I expect that will not be too far off,” he said.

“The reason I’m reluctant to fully support the Equality Bill is that it’s important that people understand that it will bring major changes to many different pieces of legislation.

‘Normally those bills are split into different components.’

However, Mr Minns has pledged to ban the ‘dangerous and harmful’ conversion therapy for gay people in the run-up to the state elections in March, saying there would be ongoing consultation and cooperation with Mr Greenwich.