Anti-homophobia rally closes Gloria Jeans

The rally started outside Gloria Jeans, in response to the company’s support for Mercy Ministries which separates female couples and promotes male control of female bodies. Rather than engage with their critics, Gloria Jeans shut for the night, and activists wondered if they could chase it out of Newtown like they did McDonald’s.

Karl Hand from the MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) apologised for homophobia perpetrated by the Christian churches, and pointed out that such hatred is not Christian. Greens Senator Kerry Nettle emphasised the importance of equality under the law, including the current taboo territory of marriage. Rachel Evans from Socialist Alliance, reflecting on Rudd's "honeymoon period", said, "We'd like a honeymoon of our own!” adding, "We don't want to mimic marriage, we just want the real thing!"

Rachel also told the rally of the release, a mere 30 minutes earlier, of queer refugee Ali Humayun, locked up in Immigration Detention for over three years and freed after a year-long public campaign by CAAH (Community Action Against Homophobia).

The rally then proceeded down King Street to the I Have a Dream mural, where 78-er (from the first Mardi Gras rally in 1978) Irene Doutney addressed the crowd, pointing out how many countries still persecute gay people, many with the death penalty. Chris Harris, Greens Councillor of the City of Sydney, spoke of his Council's support for the GLBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/Transsexual, Intersex/Intergender, and Queer/Questioning) community, including recently reinstating the GLBTIQ Community Liaison Officer. This writer then addressed the crowd with an "I have a dream" speech, pointing out how far the dream had come true, and urging all to keep dreaming and working for a more humane society, free of discrimination based on sex, gender, or sexuality.

Finally, Principal Gould of Macquarie Grammar Private School proudly spoke of his school's non-discriminatory policies, and exhorted others to do no less.

Some governments are now moving to redress anti-gay discrimination, but the laws are not yet passed, and marriage remains forbidden, according to both of the old parties (ALP and Liberal) so rallies like this are important to charge up energy for change.