CAAH excited by Sydney's embrace of IDAHO!
Now we call on the community to get involved in this years ‘National Day of Action' (NDA) for Same-Sex Marriage Rights to be held on August 1st, 2009
Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) sends out it's thanks and appreciation to our communities and their supporters after an amazing weekend that helped celebrate and mark this year's action's for the International Day of Action Against Homophobia (IDAHO).
Extending his appreciation to all the speakers at the CAAH IDAHO Rally
in Newtown, held on 17th may 2009, CAAH co-convenor Ben Cooper said,
“It was just amazing to get people together and to add our special CAAH
flavour to the variety of actions that marked this years IDAHO! All our
speakers made the event a great way to mark the day!"
Speeches from Tracie O'Keefe (SAGE), Emma Dook (NUS), Irene Doutney
(Greens), Elena Jeffreys (Scarlet Alliance), Connor Montgomery
(Socialist Alliance) and Norrie May-Welby helped to bring a focus on
the need to continue the struggle against Homophobia, and explore the
reality that so much work is also needed to end Transphobia. Elena
Jeffreys helped to broaden out the discussion on societies and our own
community’s often-contradictory approach to social attitudes towards
and perceptions about sex workers.
Check out Photos of the rally and view SSO Photos - thanks ann-marie x
CAAH will continue to collaborate with community groups, especially
after the success of IDAHO the Exhibition and the Hate-Crime Map, which
was initiated by IDAHO Sydney and held at Pine Street Creative Arts
Centre on Saturday 16th May. The Hate-Crime Map initiative will
continue with our full support.
Nick Baldas, curator of ‘IDAHO the Exhibition’ shares CAAH's excitement
and also has big plans ahead, "Thank you to all the artists for being
courageous enough to confront the issue of homophobia through their
artworks, IDAHO Sydney will continue on into 2010. Our main objective
is to contact all secondary schools in NSW and get youth artists
contributing their talents. We will continue to work on eliminating
homophobia and hate crimes against our communities. Please visit our
hate crime web site and report to us!"
CAAH has also commenced working with the International Lesbian and Gay
Association (ILGA), with the aim of broadening out the concept to
include the Asia-Pacific region throughout the year ahead.
Simon Margan ILGA/CAAH liaison spokesperson says, "It's a great
initiative and will help represent and understand the nature of
homophobia in our region". Simon will also speak during June this year
at a CAAH event to share his experience in Belgium, where he
represented the Asia-Pacific region at a recent ILGA conference.
Details of this event will be confirmed on 29th May 2009 - stay tuned!
And with the success and inspiration of IDAHO behind us, SydneyCentral
CAAH this year will organise a rally and march in Sydney for this
year's National Day of Action (NDA) for Same Sex Marriage, to be held
on August 1st, 2009.
CAAH co-convenor Emilia Lawonski says," This year the NDA will be a
truly national event, with actions to be held in all major capital
cities across Australia on August 1. In Sydney, we will meet at Town
Hall at 12pm, then march to the national Labor conference at Darling
Harbour, and alongside our Melbourne brothers and sisters we will be
staging the nation's largest illegal Gay wedding!"
Get involved in this years ‘National Day of Action' (NDA) for Same-Sex Marriage Rights to be held on August 1st, 2009
“CAAH has already commenced planning for the NDA, and we would love to
know what we can do to help or contribute to other community
organisations to stage their own actions, especially if they are
planning any other events for the week of the NDA, or if they would
like to assist CAAH“, said Lawonski.
We need to know - what do you and your organization think? We would
love to know if you have any other events organized for the week of the
National Day of Action, and we need to know what we can do to help!’
To help organise our events, and hopefully get to know each other and
start organising Sydney's events for the National Day of Action for
Same Sex Marriage rights together, we are starting the first of our
organising meetings this Sunday 24th May 2009, at the Taxi Club
Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, starting at 2p.m.
To RSVP or give us your input, or let us know how we can help you, send us an email at: caahsydney@gmail.com.
For more information on IDAHO Sydney and the Hate-Crimes Map, please
visit www.idahosydney.wordpress.com, contact Nick or Luke on 0416 716
004, or email idahosydney@yahoo.com.au
For more information visit our website on www.caah.org.au or call our co-convenors
Emilia Lawonski 0401 519 593
Ben Cooper 0412325231
CAAH PRESS RELEASE 18/5/2009
