Time for the Glorias
In its second year running, the Gloria Awards night, to be held on June 3 at NSW Parliament House, will bring attention to homophobic and transphobic comments made by public personalities and organisation over the last year.
Modelled on Meredith Burgmann’s Ernie Awards which focus on sexism, the Glorias aim to highlight the challenge ahead for our community by focusing on the outrageous, ignorant and ridiculous public comments made by politicians, media personalities, opinion leaders and other public figures. From politicians to celebrities, sporting giants to NATO commanders; covering eight categories including media, sport, politics, law, religion, online, international and silliest GLBTI comment made from within the GLBTI community, no one is spared.
Hosted by NSW Labor MLC Penny Sharpe, the Glorias is a non-partisan event with the ‘Golden Gloria’ being voted on during the evening via a ‘boo-off’ by ceremony attendees. While overall the Glorias are a light-hearted dig at the ridiculousness of some of our public figures, they play an important role in bringing to light the seriousness of the state of LGBTIQ rights. The LGBTIQ community, at home and abroad, is still battling for the right to love.
In Uganda, our community members are facing a battle for their lives, literally, as politicians recently attempted to pass legislation to make the “promotion of homosexuality” punishable by imprisonment and introducing the death penalty for acts of homosexuality. In Cameroon, many LGBTIQ still languish in state prisons for admitting to acts of homosexuality. In Mexico, countless trans activists have been either murdered or imprisoned for daring to speak out. In Iran, members of our community are subject to arbitrary arrests and detentions, including torture while in detention.
And here in Australia, we are battling for equality in marriage as well as legislative equality in the form of federal anti-discrimination legislation and better processes for LGBTIQ asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution in other countries.
The words of Martin Luther King still ring to true: “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby invites you to come to the Glorias — www.theglorias.com.au — and support our community by shining a light on the ignorant and ridiculous.
Equally as important, we invite you to join the GLRL in our campaign work to shed a light on the road ahead to win your rights Visit www.glrl.org.au
info: Rathana Chea is the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor.
