Council working to stamp out discrimination against GLBTIQ residents

Published on 16 May 2017

Mildura Rural City Council and Mildura Pride are inviting the community to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHBT) this week with a Rainbow Flag-raising event.

To be held at the Alfred Deakin Centre tomorrow, the flag-raising event is designed to raise awareness about the violence and discrimination still faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTIQ) community worldwide.

It’s among a raft of activities planned for the day, which is recognised as the most important date for GLBTIQ communities across the globe.

Council will fly the Rainbow Flag at all of its offices as well as the Alfred Deakin Centre as part of the event. Council staff will also attend GLBTIQ awareness sessions, while billboards promoting the event will rotate around the district, including Mildura, Red Cliffs and Merbein. There will also be a community event, Queeraoke, at the Mildura Sandbar tomorrow night.

Councillor for Community Development Min Poole said Council first embraced IDAHBT last year, helping to not only raise awareness about discrimination against the GLBTIQ community, but support local residents.

“This is an important event to raise awareness, but also show that we support the GLBTIQ community in our municipality,” Cr Poole said.

“Discrimination against any person, including GLBTIQ residents, is simply not acceptable and I hope that by showing that we as community leaders in this region support this initiative it will encourage other organisations and the broader community to do the same.”

Tomorrow's Rainbow Flag-raising event will be held at 11.30am at the Alfred Deakin Centre and include presentations by Cr Poole and a Mildura Pride representative. 

For more information contact Council’s Social Inclusion Officer on (03) 5018 8100.

Media enquiries 
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au