Making connections down under: Australia, World Pride and raising the voices of Black and Indigenous people fighting for LGBTI+ rights

I was honoured to travel to Australia last month to take part in the largest ever LGBTQIA+ rights conference ever to be held in the southern hemisphere. Sydney World Pride and its associated events brought together human rights defenders, community members, government and political representatives, philanthropists and corporate leaders from across the globe to help create a world that is free, safe and equal for everyone.?

My engagements started with the Better Together conference, Australia’s 5th national LGBTQIA+ conference, which was held in Adelaide, within the traditional Country of the Kaurna people.?

The conference started with a Welcome to Country Long Walk and Smoking Ceremony recognising past, present and emerging leaders. The Smoking Ceremony is a traditional way for Aboriginal people to welcome visitors and drive out bad spirits. Throughout my time in Australia I was very aware of the need to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land I was visiting and to understand the ongoing impacts of colonisation on First Nations and Indigenous peoples and I was very moved by this Aboriginal ceremony.?

I was delighted to speak at the Better Together Conference on the unique challenges faced by African Queer Black Women and later to join an amazing panel of Queer Women of Colour on intersectional leadership.?

After Adelaide, it was on to Sydney (alongside Kaleidoscope Trust’s Deputy Director Jesse Sperling) within the lands of the Gadigal, Cammeraygal, Bidjigal, Darug, Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the Sydney Basin. I was honoured to address philanthropists, business leaders and LGBTI+ human rights defenders from around the world at the Global Philanthropy Project event, where I facilitated a panel of four amazing speakers from the Asia Pacific region to discuss tackling criminalisation and law reform in Asia and the Pacific, before moving on to the World Pride Human Rights Conference.

I was blown away by this conference, which must be one of the most diverse LGBTQIA+ events I’ve ever attended, both in terms of speakers and attendees. The conference was open to everyone: activists and academics, lawyers and lawmakers, professionals and students and just everyday people who believe in LGBTI+ rights.?

My main takeaway from the conference was the fact that the global LGBTI+ movement is underfunded and particularly so in the Asia-Pacific region. Kaleidoscope Trust already works with governments and other partners to try to redress this underfunding and over the last two years we’ve provided financial and technical support to organisations fighting for LGBTI+ rights in eleven Asia-Pacific countries.?

I chaired a panel discussion on Pride across the globe, where I was joined by Jannat Ali from Trans Pride Pakistan, Charlene Liu from ShanghaiPRIDE China, Diane Minnie from First Mardi Gras and Lenny Emson from KyivPride, to discuss the importance of Pride as both protest and celebration. I was also excited to speak as part of the closing plenary panel discussion on the road ahead for LGBTI+ rights, both in terms of huge challenges such as the rise of anti-rights movements trying to push the dial backwards but also opportunities for global collaboration.

There truly was so much to absorb about my time in Australia. Highlights for me included attending ‘Blak and Deadly’, an explosive celebration of diversity and artistry made by and for First Nations people; seeing five governmental Special Envoys for LGBTI+ rights take the stage together to demonstrate the commitment of some of the world’s most powerful countries to our human rights; making connections with business leaders and philanthropists who are truly dedicated to supporting LGBTI+ rights; seeing the whole city and the Sydney Opera House festooned in rainbows; reconnecting with civil society partners in the LGBTI+ movement representing all corners of the world; breakfasting with my dear friend the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Victor Madrigal-Borloz with a stunning view overlooking Sydney; giggling our way round the Qtopia Queer Museum with LGBTI+ rights legend Lisa Power …the list goes on.??

But my main takeaway is just how many people are out there supporting and uplifting LGBTI+ rights and the sheer diversity of our movement. The whole way through World Pride I was rubbing shoulders with people of different ages, nationalities, genders, backgrounds… At a time of so much rising anti-LGBTI+ sentiment around the world, it’s easy to get despondent. But this was a reminder that we are here, we are queer and we are everywhere!?