Sydney Councils Calls For Support Over Disrupted Drag Story Time Events

By ABHA HAVAL

City of Sydney councillors put forward a motion in support of Drag Storytime events after a number of events were disrupted due to a rise in homophobia and abusive threats targeting the LGBTQA+ community.

Deputy Mayor Sylvie Ellsmore will be bringing the motion forward at the upcoming Local Government NSW Annual Conference, to encourage more council members to support local LGBTQA+ inclusive events year-round.

With this motion, the council aims to provide a safe space for the performers and attendees, and “ensure that drag performers receive payment in full for events that are cancelled.”

Council to support LGBTQA+ events

The motion was unanimously passed during the council meeting on Monday, hoping to get support from Local Government NSW to facilitate drag story time events and other LGBTQA+ community events to safely take place at council facilities.

Deputy Mayor Ellsmore told City Hub that even though the Drag Story Time events in the city have not been cancelled, “there has been a rise in homophobic and transphobic actions targeting our two key LGBTQA+ pride areas of Oxford Street (Darlinghurst), and King Street (Newtown).”

A number of organized protests were seen against trans rights, including the anonymous letterbox drop targeting gender inclusion, threats against drag performers, and even incidents of physical violence against the LGBTQA+ community.

The council put forward the motion at the request of the community and activists who are concerned about the attacks on Drag Story Time events all over Australia.

“NSW police should not just recommend cancellations as an easy way out,” she said.

Councillors and LGBTQA+ communities calling out for support

The spokesperson for Pride in Protest told City Hub that Sydney City Council and Inner West Council have been very supportive, and are hoping to receive support from other councils as well.

Dashie said, “One way the council and government can ensure that queer spaces and communities are not threatened is to have more tokenistic spaces and support.”

“King Street and Oxford Street are the only places for the LGBTQA+ community because they are the only two tokenistic spaces that host the events and provide a space,” Dashie explains.

“If there were more spaces for the LGBTQA+ community in the city and the councils were more supportive it would be better.”

“There is a need for councils to recognize how funding must be put in place to support the LGBTQA+ performers.”

Ellsmore says, “The council is a proud LGBTQA+ community, and our role is to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQA+ residents, friends and families, particularly when they face these attacks, and make it clear that a small angry minority does not represent the words of our inclusive community.”

“Community-led solutions are much better than police-led solutions, especially when we are responding to issues like this.”

The Sydney City Council will be working jointly with the Inner West Council to support actions regarding LGBTQA+ rights in Newtown.

Cr Liz Atkins says, “All councils need to send a message that homophobia and transphobia will not be tolerated, and to make it clear to the rainbow community that they are welcome all year round.”

“Young LGBTQA+ people need to know that they are welcome and safe all the time – no one should need to be in the closet in 2023.”

Pride in Protest is an organisation that advocates for the LGBTQA+ community and approached the Sydney City Council with concerns about the hate speech threats against the community.

A spokesperson for Pride in Protest, Dashie, told City Hub that there were a number of cancellations of the Drag Story Time events, especially at the time leading to the NSW elections.

“There were several activists coming out and pushing anti-trans rights agenda. There were protests from far right-winger nazis and anti-trans activists which is the reason why so many events were being cancelled,” says Dashie.

“There have also been some indirect cancellations of pride events and some councils have quietly swept them under the rug.”

“Councils should not shy away from this issue. They need to have a pro LGBTQA+ agenda.”

Cr Liz Atkins told Star Observer that the disruptions resulted in police advising the council to cancel events that are “wholesome and family oriented.”

“While Inner West council has refused to be intimidated by such threats, other councils can be more likely to accept police advice, especially where young people and children are involved,” says Cr Atkins.

Councillors believe that cancellations will only end up encouraging future disruptions that will not only affect the “rainbow families”, but deprive the whole community of inclusive events.

The Council voted last week to take action by calling on other councils to continue with Drag Story Time events in each of their local areas.

The motion will be further tabled at the State Local Government Conference later this year.