LGBTIQA+ support
Katie HALL (Footscray) (13:01): Today is Harmony Day, and Friday next week is Trans Day of Visibility. Today on behalf of my community I rise to note that in the inner west we celebrate both wholeheartedly. We wrap our arms around our trans community and our multicultural communities. We celebrate you with full hearts, and I will always be your ally. I do not want to elevate the events of the weekend beyond saying there were two hateful protests and there is a reason that birds of a feather flock together. I have received heartbreaking emails from residents in the aftermath, and my clear, unequivocal message to those community members is that you are loved and we will do everything to ensure that you can be your true, authentic selves.
To the trans community member who told me at the Yarraville Festival she was so proud to be a Victorian and proud of this government’s commitment to equality: we are so proud of you. To the young people on the hardest journey imaginable, we are here for you. I stand with the broader LGBTI community, and I stand for diversity. Harmony Day is about celebrating diversity and the richness of our society, and with that I celebrate today, Harmony Day.