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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-17 Daily Xml
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INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion: will the minister advise us about the importance of International Day Against Homophobia?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:11): Mr President, I might have to wing this one. I thank the honourable member for his very important question. Today is International Day Against Homophobia, which is internationally observed on 17 May. The idea for the day was launched in 2004 and the date was selected in light of the fact that this was the date that the World Health Organisation decided to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990. IDAHO has been officially recognised by several countries around the world including the Netherlands, Mexico, France, Spain and the UK. I understand that the European parliament has also formally recognised IDAHO.

IDAHO is an opportunity to celebrate and declare publicly that diversity should be welcomed and that hate and bigotry will not be tolerated in our society. I understand that the City of Salisbury council will again today fly the rainbow flag on IDAHO day, as will the City of Holdfast Bay, the City of Marion and the City of Charles Sturt council. I also understand that the City of Port Adelaide Enfield has plans to fly the rainbow flag all the way down Commercial Road, Port Adelaide, as a demonstration of its support for the principles of social inclusion and equality. This is a tremendous gesture of support by local government, and I thank them all for it.

I would also like to add that just last week I attended the 40th anniversary commemoration of the death of Dr George Duncan, at a memorial service on the banks of the River Torrens. The memorial was organised by the Adelaide University community, where I am pleased to say I saw first-hand the next generation of progressive leaders educating themselves about that tragic moment in South Australia's history. The passing of 40 years provided an opportunity for the memorial service to reflect on how far, as a community, we have progressed.

We reflected upon the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the Dunstan Labor government in 1975 and the Labor government of John Bannon in 1985 passing anti-discrimination legislation based on sexuality. We also reflected upon the federal Labor government's removal of over 100 pieces of discriminatory legislation in 2008 and how this has paved the way for the ALP's adoption of marriage equality as official party policy.

The fact is that we have come a long way from the regular brutality that members of the gay community faced in the 1970s and earlier. Whilst justice was never served for the murder of Dr George Duncan, I would like to think that he would be satisfied with the social change that his death helped to spark in South Australia and across the country.

Today I met two young members of the Charles Sturt Youth Advisory Committee who were responsible for a motion to the Charles Sturt council to fly the rainbow flag. Their youthful enthusiasm was very infectious, and it is great to see young members of our community stepping up. They will become the leaders of our community in the years to come. I look forward to seeing many rainbow flags out and about in the community over the coming days. If honourable members missed out on their rainbow ribbon, I have two left up here to be collected.

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