SA govt funds Pride march as MP gives emotional tribute to daughter
Adelaide’s annual pride march is getting a state government funding boost, a month after protestors descended on a southern suburbs school calling for a day celebrating diversity to be shut down.
Pride Adelaide will receive $80,000 to keep running the city’s Pride March for four years, Human Services Minister Katrine Hildyard announced at Saturday night’s annual Pride Gala run by the SA charity.
Pride Adelaide Chair Dave Newman said the $20,000 a year funding was a “powerful statement”– one that comes as SA schools face anti-LGBTQIA+ protests and state parliament recognised attacks against gay men were on the rise.
“There will always be differing views and occasional negative rhetoric,” Newman said.
“Rather than focusing on division, we choose to focus on compassion, decency, respect and inclusion.
“This funding is a powerful statement that diversity matters, inclusion matters, and that LGBTQIA+ South Australians deserve the same opportunity as anyone else to participate fully in community life.”
The annual march – held in November – has been run by Pride Adelaide for 23 years, and continues the legacy of Adelaide’s first Proud Parade held in 1973, before the state decriminalised homosexuality in 1975.
You might like
Newman said the group were “absolutely thrilled” it could keep marching, and that, although the group has received specific event funding in the past, this was the first dedicated multi-year commitment from the government.
“For a volunteer-led organisation, that certainty is incredibly valuable and provides a strong foundation for the future,” Newman said.
Minister Hildyard made the funding announcement at Pride Adelaide’s Pride Gala held at SkyCity on Saturday, which she attended with Speaker of the House Nat Cook and Labor MP David Wilkins.
“Our government is proud to stand alongside the LGBTQIA+ community and support opportunities that celebrate diversity, foster belonging and strengthen inclusion,” Hildyard said.
"At a time when we continue to see division and discrimination directed towards LGBTQIA+ communities around the world, it is more important than ever that we celebrate diversity and champion equality."
Wilkins earlier this month became one of the first openly gay MPs in the lower house, along with One Nation MP Jason Virgo.
The Gala inducted SA’s HIV Women’s program coordinator Pam Price and the late Eric Kuhlmann –a longstanding community advocate and member of Bear Men of Adelaide – into it’s Hall of Fame.
Greens MLC Robert Simms also attended, saying it was “a powerful night” and a “great opportunity to honour long-time advocates”.
Stay informed, daily
The government’s Human Service Department was awarded Employer of the Year in the Gala awards, which also saw city bar Mary’s Poppin, Queer Youth Drop in and Feast Festival win for their contributions to the community.
The milestone funding announcement came days after the state parliament marked an international day against homophobia that drew protests at a southern suburbs school last month.
SA’s upper house recognised International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex Discrimination, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) and an increase in LGBTQIA+ hate in a motion last Thursday.
Greens, Labor and Liberal politicians all voted to condemn “the recent and deeply concerning increase in violent attacks targeting gay men” across the country, including those orchestrated on dating apps.
The state’s upper house called on the federal government to investigate the use of dating apps to facilitate hate crimes against gay men and called on SA Police to ensure attacks are recorded, investigated and prosecuted as hate crimes.
Newly elected Greens member Melanie Selwood’s daughter – who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community – was in the gallery to hear her mother give an emotional tribute in the debate.
“I unashamedly bring my protective mother energy to this debate and I will continue to stand up to speech that seeks to harm the young people I care about,” Selwood said.
“As a parent, I have watched my child come out publicly with a lot less homophobia than they would have encountered when I was young, but it does not mean it has gone away.
“As a primary school student, when our child had already told us they were a lesbian, they felt uncomfortable telling anyone at school because of the casual homophobia they encountered. It was not until high school they felt they could be themselves in a safer way.”
Her speech came after 40 protesters descended on Reynella East College last month with signs saying “ABC not LGBTQIA+” and “protect your children’s innocence” after students were invited to wear rainbow colours to celebrate inclusion for IDAHOBIT.
One Nation’s upper house members were the only ones to vote against the motion, state leader Cory Bernardi saying to recognise a significant day was “one thing”, but the points about victims to alleged crimes using online dating apps would open “a can of worms”.
“One Nation’s position is that the law should apply equally to everybody and that we should not be carving this sort of stuff out to cater to personal choices that people are making and the specific apps or whatever that they are using,” Bernardi said.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
