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Victoria government affirms trans Australians, raises flag

“There’s a new flag flying outside the offices of the Victorian Govt. Because we’ll always respect you. And we’ll always have your back”

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Screenshot/Twitter

MELBOURNE, Australia – In response to this past weekend’s Neo-Nazi demonstration attacking trans Australians in a show of support for British Gender Critical (Terf) Kellie-Jay Keen also known as Posie Parker, who is currently touring the country, the Victorian government raised the trans flag over its offices.

In social media posts, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that his government was raising the flag, designed and created in 1999 by American U.S. Navy veteran Monica Helms, in a show of support of transgender citizens.

“There’s a new flag flying outside the offices of the Victorian Government. Because we’ll always respect you. And we’ll always have your back,” the Victorian Premier tweeted.

During Saturday’s demonstration, the Neo-Nazi protestors kept throwing up the stiff-arm Nazi salute shouting Nazi slogans. Last year the Victorian government had banned the Nazi swastika, with those who defied the ban facing jail terms and hefty fines, the salute however, is not covered under the law. The group also shouted homophobic and transphobic epithets and other terms denigrating the pro-trans activists as well as carried signs that read “Destroy Paedo Freaks.”

A spokesperson for the government told the Blade that officials are now calling for a ban of the salute, also quoting a Federal Labour MP, Josh Burns who said: “It makes no sense that it’s now illegal to display a Nazi symbol in Victoria, which is fundamentally a good thing, but you are allowed to do what happened yesterday which is and saluting neo-Nazi ideology.” 

In a phone call with the Blade, Victoria Police said that the counter demonstration by trans supporters out numbered the Neo-Nazis in a 2 to 1 ratio. The spokesperson also told the Blade that while Keen-Parker was present, she was apparently not connected to the Neo-Nazis and instead was arguing with trans supporters in the opposition crowd.

At a later gathering in Hobart, capital of Australia’s island state of Tasmania, Keen-Parker was chased off by trans supporters as a planned gender critical Let Women Speak Australia rally she held was met with angry counter protest.

“Let Women Speak Australia” in Hobart:

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Australian official tells anti-LGBTQ+ to take their hate to Florida

“My message to those people is, very clearly: if you want to behave like the worst elements of the Floridian Republican Party, get to Florida”

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Drag storytime derailed by protesters in suburb of Melbourne (Screenshot/YouTube SKY News AU)

MELBOURNE, Australia – The City of Monash, located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne was forced to cancel a drag queen reading event after state police officials advised the city council based on a threat assessment it should nor proceed.

The event was meant to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

That prompted Victoria Premier Dan Andrews to denounce the hate in a speech on the floor of the state parliament:

“This Americanisation of our politics has no place here. My message to those people is, very clearly: if you want to behave like the worst elements of the Floridian Republican Party, get to Florida.

“Head over there, where your hateful views might be worth something. They are worth nothing here. We will not stand for this sort of ugly behavior. It is appalling, and I again make the point: it is not about free speech. This is hate speech plain and simple.

“It’s wrong. It is out of step with the values of fair-minded, decent mainstream Victorians. It is on the fringe. But enough about those people. Let us send the clearest message that equality is not negotiable.

“And despite the carrying-on and the shameful behaviour of a small few, this government and this community remain committed to every single Victorian no matter who they are or who they love.”

The City of Monash’s council released a statement that read:

“This decision was made in consultation with police following repeated threats of violence and intimidation against councillors, families booked to attend the event, the performer and council staff,” the council said.

“Councillors and staff have received messages that nobody should be expected to receive in their workplace, as have our LGBTIQA+ community. In recent days these threats escalated to direct threats of violence involving the event itself.

“We apologise to our LGBTIQA+ community for this outcome. We hope they understand we did not make this decision lightly and we share their disappointment.”

Australian media outlet news.com.au reported that Monash councilor Andi Diamond said “hateful and threatening commentary and misinformation” about the event had spread online and over the phone.

“It is incredibly disappointing to have to cancel an event designed to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, but we were left with no choice after Victoria Police advised council of the risks associated with holding the event,” said Diamond.

“Our drag storytime event was designed to introduce children to diverse role models and encourage acceptance, love and respect for our LGBTIQA+ community. It is so disappointing that some people have a long way to go before this is achieved.

“We understood this was not for everyone and scheduled it outside our regular library programs so that parents planning to bring their children were making a deliberate choice to attend. Unfortunately, some in the community were not willing to allow that choice.

“In the end, we were unable to guarantee that we would be able to hold the event safely.”

Last week during a city council meeting regarding the event police were forced to jettison anti-LGBTQ+ protestors shouting vile homophobic epithets at other members of the audience and at council itself.

“The vile language and rhetoric being used was offensive and quite intimidating,” one of the attendees, Monash resident Gregory Storer, said afterwards.

“I heard people calling me a faggot, groomer and paedo.”

In March, the government of Victoria raised the Transgender flag, designed and created in 1999 by American U.S. Navy veteran Monica Helms, in a show of support of the state’s transgender citizens. This action taken after a Neo-Nazi demonstration on the steps of the Victoria Parliament attacking trans Australians in a show of support for British Gender Critical (Terf) Kellie-Jay Keen also known as Posie Parker who was touring the country.

Premier Andrews tweeted: “There’s a new flag flying outside the offices of the Victorian Government. Because we’ll always respect you. And we’ll always have your back.” 

During that demonstration, the Neo-Nazi protestors kept throwing up the stiff-arm Nazi salute shouting Nazi slogans. Last year the Victorian government had banned the Nazi swastika, with those who defied the ban facing jail terms and hefty fines, the salute however, is not covered under the law. The group also shouted homophobic and transphobic epithets and other terms denigrating the pro-trans activists as well as carried signs that read “Destroy Paedo Freaks.”

In a phone call with the Blade, Victoria Police said that the counter demonstration by trans supporters out numbered the Neo-Nazis in a 2 to 1 ratio. The spokesperson also told the Blade that while Keen-Parker was present, she was apparently not connected to the Neo-Nazis and instead was arguing with trans supporters in the opposition crowd.

At a later gathering in Hobart, capital of Australia’s island state of Tasmania, Keen-Parker was chased off by trans supporters as a planned gender critical Let Women Speak Australia rally she held was met with angry counter protest.

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Australia on track to virtually eliminate the transmission of HIV

Increasing treatment access and reducing undiagnosed infections is vital for combatting HIV, UNSW researchers found

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University of New South Wales LGBTQ+ students celebrate Sydney WorldPride 2023. (Photo Credit: UNSW Media & Public Affairs/Facebook)

SYDNEY, NSW, Australia – A study from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, has proven the effectiveness of HIV ‘treatment as prevention’ strategies, including equitable access to PrEP and testing, in combatting HIV transmission.

The study found a 27% increase in people accessing HIV treatment resulted in a 66% decrease in infections in New South Wales and Victoria, the nation’s most populous states with largest number of LGBTQ+ Australians from 2010-2019.

The Kirby Institute is a world-leading health research institute at UNSW Sydney, its research work is dedicated to eliminate infectious diseases globally.

The ten-year study into the impact of HIV ‘treatment as prevention’ – or TasP – is a global public health strategy that is built on the evidence that HIV treatment results in virally suppressing the HIV virus, which effectively reduces an individual’s risk of transmitting HIV to zero.

The Kirby Institute’s findings, published in Lancet HIV, showed that HIV infections decreased as the TasP prevention, complemented by the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and increased access to diagnostic testing.

“To test the ‘big picture’ impacts of this important HIV prevention strategy, we examined 10 years of clinical data from over 100,000 gay and bisexual men in New South Wales and Victoria,” said Dr Denton Callander, who led the research at UNSW’s Kirby Institute. “We found that over time, as viral suppression increased, HIV incidence decreased. Indeed, every percentage point increase in successfully treated HIV saw a fivefold decrease in new infections, thus establishing treatment as prevention as a powerful public health strategy. 

“Our research shows that investing in HIV testing is crucial for HIV elimination,” said Dr Callander. 

While there is strong evidence from clinical trials to support TasP’s effectiveness, Kirby Institute and Burnet Institute researchers are the first to analyze the impact of this strategy on overall HIV infections at a population level. 

During the course of the study, a range of other HIV prevention strategies were rolled out in NSW and Victoria, including the introduction of PrEP – a pill that prevents HIV negative people from acquiring HIV. 

“While TasP is an important public health strategy, its true potential is unlocked when used in combination with the widespread availability of PrEP, and increased access to HIV testing and treatment, especially when delivered equitably,” says Dr Callander. 

Over the past decade, governments, clinics and community-based organisations in NSW and Victoria have worked to remove antiretroviral prescribing restrictions, enabled community pharmacy dispensing, reduced patient treatment costs, and educated those at risk of HIV about the individual and prevention benefits of early and sustained treatment.

“Australia is on track to become one of the first countries globally to virtually eliminate the transmission of HIV. The results of this research show that further investment in HIV treatment – especially alongside PrEP – is a crucial component of HIV elimination,” says Professor Mark Stoové from the Burnet Institute, who is co-senior author on the paper. 

Jane Costello, CEO of Positive Life NSW, welcomes the research findings around the benefits of early and effective treatment and other strategies for positive communities, and the contribution this will make to the overall Australian HIV response.

“People living with HIV have always known that TasP is an effective HIV prevention strategy to reduce the levels of the HIV virus in our bodies, slow the progression of HIV and its impact on our immune system, and offer protection to those we care about and love,” she said.

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The preceding article was previously published by the Media Office, UNSW Sydney NSW


Telephone. +61 2 9385 2864, Email. [email protected]

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Neo-Nazis & trans activists clash in Melbourne outside Parliament

“They were there to say the trans community don’t deserve rights. Their evil ideology is to scapegoat minorities & it’s got no place here”

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Transgender rights activists clash with Neo-Nazi's in Melbourne, Australia (Screenshot/YouTube)

MELBOURNE, Australia – Neo-Nazi anti-trans far-right extremists gathered outside on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House Saturday to support Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, a British “gender critical” virulent anti-trans activist.

Parker, who founded group Standing for Women, is currently on a speaking tour of Australia, although a spokesperson for the Victoria Police told the Blade Sunday afternoon- [Monday morning Australia], there were no allegations or other ties to support evidence of her direct involvement in the far-right group’s protest which turned violent as police tried to keep pro-trans activists and the far-right groups separated.

Keen-Minshull/Parker is seen in multiple media photographs arguing with pro-trans supporters on Saturday along Spring Street in front of Parliament House.

The Neo-Nazi protestors kept throwing up the stiff-arm Nazi salute shouting Nazi slogans. Last year the Victorian government had banned the Nazi swastika, with those who defied the ban facing jail terms and hefty fines, the salute however, is not covered under the law. The group also shouted homophobic and transphobic epithets and other terms denigrating the pro-trans activists.

A spokesperson for the government told the Blade that officials are now calling for a ban of the salute, also quoting a Federal Labour MP, Josh Burns who said: “It makes no sense that it’s now illegal to display a Nazi symbol in Victoria, which is fundamentally a good thing, but you are allowed to do what happened yesterday which is and saluting neo-Nazi ideology.” 

Burns also released a statement Saturday [Australia] calling for tougher laws on far-right extremism:

On Sunday, [Australia] Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews in a Twitter thread noted:

“I won’t share a photo because they simply don’t deserve the attention. But yesterday, anti-trans activists gathered to spread hate. And on the steps of our Parliament, some of them performed a Nazi salute. I wish it didn’t have to be said, but clearly it does: Nazis aren’t welcome. Not on Parliament’s steps. Not anywhere.”

Andrews added: “They were there to say the trans community don’t deserve rights, safety or dignity. That’s what Nazis do. Their evil ideology is to scapegoat minorities – and it’s got no place here. And those who stand with them don’t, either. So to every trans Victorian, I say this: Our Government will always support you. And we’ll always respect you. Because your rights are not negotiable.”

Transgender rights activists clash with Neo-Nazi’s in Melbourne:

Victorian Government To Explore Extra Measures After Neo-Nazi Clash:

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WorldPride in Sydney comes to a buoyantly successful close

D.C. to host next biennial event in 2025

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The Sydney Opera House lit up in the Progress Pride flag for Sydney Mardi Gras and WorldPride. (Photo Credit: Sydney WorldPride 2023/Twitter)

SYDNEY — The first WorldPride in the Southern Hemisphere wrapped up in Sydney on Sunday evening with an open-air closing concert and dance party headlined by singers Kim Petras and Ava Max. 

The packed extravaganza rounded out a 17-day celebration of more than 300 events — encompassing parties, parades, exhibitions, workshops, sports, a film festival, competitive voguing and much more — that in all were projected to be attended by some half a million people.

Earlier on Sunday, 50,000 marchers, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, took part in an early morning march across the city’s cherished Sydney Harbor Bridge, which was closed to traffic for the first time since 2000 to make way for the walk.

“It was important for me to come to the march because I’m a Black Trans woman, so I felt like I should march in solidarity with the community,” said Taj Tian, an American expat who recently relocated from Tokyo to Sydney.

“We came to WorldPride because it was important to deliver our message from Korea to the world,” said Seunguk So, who carried a banner with his husband, Yong Min Kim, in support of marriage equality in South Korea.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among the 50,000 people who marched across the Sydney Harbor Bridge on March 5, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Destination New South Wales)

Timed to coincide with Australia’s summer and Sydney’s iconic Mardi Gras celebration, the WorldPride calendar began on Feb. 17 with a series of queer parties and performances, then kicked into overdrive with a Feb. 24 official opening concert headlined by Aussie pop darling Kylie Minogue. 2023 marks the 45th anniversary of the first Sydney Mardi Gras, as well as the 50th anniversary of Australia’s first Gay Pride Week.

The political highlight of Sydney WorldPride was the largest LGBTQ+ and intersex human rights conference ever held in the Asia-Pacific region. 

About 1,800 people attended the three-day conference, which served as the WorldPride centerpiece and featured some more than 60 presenters and panelists, including Steve Roth, executive director of the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration, an LGBTQ+ and intersex refugee organization. Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ+ and intersex rights abroad, Amb. Chantale Wong, the U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank who is the first openly lesbian American ambassador, and Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the independent U.N. expert on LGBTQ+ and intersex issues, are among those who also participated.

“This human rights conference was one of the largest gatherings ever of global LGBTQ activists, so it was important to be a part of it both to represent ORAM and to bring attention to the challenges facing displaced LGBTQ people around the world,” said Roth. “I was inspired to hear more about all the great activism happening globally and to share about the important work that ORAM is doing, such as bringing economic empowerment programs to queer refugees in places like Kenya.”

In the handover of the conference reins to D.C. for WorldPride 2025, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy congratulated Sydney organizers, especially for giving First Nations people a central role.

“We will all leave here with a deeper understanding of the work that needs to be done,” said Kennedy. “You’ve shown the world how an empowered diverse community is central to a more peaceful and prosperous world. I’m looking forward to the sharing that will happen with First Nations people in the United States.”

First Nations representation was a recurring theme throughout Sydney WorldPride’s main events, which were all opened with acknowledgments of the original Gadigal owners of the lands upon which Sydney now sits. 

Popular Aboriginal Sydney drag queen Nana Miss Koori helped kick off several key happenings, including the opening concert, the Mardi Gras parade, and the glamorous Blak and Deadly First Nations gala concert, which took place on March 2 at the famed Sydney Opera House. Performers there included Aboriginal Australian electronic music duo Electric Fields and Canadian Indigenous musician Jeremy Dutcher.

Sydney’s top museums hopped also onto the WorldPride bandwagon, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which presented a new “Queering the collection” tour of its permanent holdings, and the Powerhouse Museum, which mounted its “Absolutely Queer” exhibition honoring Australia’s contemporary queer creativity.

On hand throughout the WorldPride festivities were a cavalcade of Australia’s top LGBTQ+ celebrities, including singer Troye Sivan, actor Magda Szubanski and multitalented drag entertainer Courtney Act. Many American queer celebs, including TV personalities Carson Kressley and Andy Cohen, were also spotted at WorldPride events.

The eighth-ever WorldPride, Sydney’s edition was projected by organizers to inject approximately $75 million into the Australian economy, a much-needed tourism boost following the country’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns of the previous few years.

The next WorldPride is slated to take place in D.C. from May 23 to June 8, 2025.

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History making first: Australian PM marches in Sydney Mardi Gras

“I’ve been proudly marching in Mardi Gras since the 80s. This year I’m honoured to be the first Prime Minister to join the march”

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Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia marches in the Sydney LGBTQ Mardi Gras (Photo Credit: Office of the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese/Twitter)

SYDNEY- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made history Saturday at Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, becoming his nation’s first sitting prime minister to take part in parade – one of the biggest LGBTQ+ Pride events in the world.

The Prime Minister in a simple open-necked shirt and jeans joined senior Labor figures – including the New South Wales opposition leader, Chris Minns, and the federal MP for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek drawing cheers from the huge crowds lining the city’s Oxford Street as more than 12,000 participants and 200 floats made their way along the parade route.

Penny Wong, the first openly lesbian member of Australia’s parliament, also took part in the celebrations.

On Twitter Albanese noted: “When the first Mardi Gras march was held in 1978, you could still be arrested for being gay. In the decades since, people dedicated their lives toward the campaign for equality.” Continuing in the thread the prime minister added: “To be accepted as equal and recognised for who they are and who they love. I’ve been proudly marching in Mardi Gras since the 80s. This year I’m honoured to be the first Prime Minister to join the march.”

This was Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras since the coronavirus pandemic, the last one held in 2019.

Speaking to reporters Albanese said “This is a celebration of modern Australia,” adding that it was “unfortunate” that he was the country’s first leader to march in the parade while in office.

“People want to see that their government is inclusive and represents everyone no matter who they love, no matter what their identity, no matter where they live.”

Albanese becomes first PM to march in Mardi Gras parade | 9 News Australia:

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Australia prime minister reiterates opposition to Trans women in female sports

Scott Morrison noted position ahead of May 21 general election

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Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Photo by shganti777 via Bigstockphoto)

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reiterated his opposition to Transgender women on female sports teams.

Senator Claire Chandler, who represents Tasmania, in February introduced a bill in the Australian Parliament that would amend the country’s Sex Discrimination Act to allow sports and clubs to ban Trans women from “single-sex sport” teams.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, references to ‘sex’ refer to biological sex and the intention of this clause is to provide certainty that operating single-sex sport — sporting activity exclusively for either females or males — is not a breach of the act,” reads the bill. “A person’s gender/gender identity/gender expression has no bearing on their sex.”

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday noted Morrison has described Chandler’s bill as “terrific.” The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the prime minister has also endorsed Katherine Deves, the co-founder of Save Women’s Sport, a group that backs efforts to ban Trans women from competing on female sports teams, who is running against incumbent MP Zali Steggal.

“I share their views,” said Morrison on Monday.

Australia’s general election will take place on May 21.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday noted Morrison declined to say whether his government would seek to ban Trans women from female sports teams if it were to win re-election.

“It’s time to recognize that there’s nothing brave about attacking trans people, but that courage instead lies in addressing the real problems we face,” said Sally Goldner, a spokesperson for Just Equal Australia, a national LGBTQ+ rights group, on Monday in a press release.

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Australian live-action kids series about Trans teen wins International Emmy

The role and the series are considered a watershed event in children’s programming & has been crucial in representing trans youth experiences

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Graphic courtesy of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

NEW YORK – The 10th International Emmy® Kids Awards held this past Tuesday was a virtual event as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  Presented annually by International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, this year’s winner in the category of live action was a groundbreaking miniseries about a trans girl adjusting to high school in Australia.

Evie Macdonald in the role of Hannah Bradford, became the first Trans actor to star in the lead role of an Australian scripted television drama in First Day. According to the producers of the show, MacDonald was eleven years old at the time of filming and had not previously acted.

Written and directed by Julie Kalceff, a writer and director with Common Language Films in Sydney, New South Wales, First Day covers many issues faced daily by trans kids in schools and has been crucial in representing Trans youth experiences on screen in Australia and globally.

The role and the series are considered a watershed event in children’s programming and airs on Hulu in the United States, on ABC Me in Australia and on CBC Gem in Canada.

 

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