Senator Nita Green, formerly the Queensland field director for Australian Marriage Equality is a veteran of Pride celebrations. However, this September she attended her first Brisbane Pride Festival as a federal Senator for Queensland. In October, she will participate in Cairns Pride in the north where she now makes her home with partner Lacey.
Scroll down for Senator Green’s Brisbane Pride Festival video.
QNews.com.au caught up with Senator Green when she hosted a Pride Fair Day eve celebration and meet up at the Wickham Hotel and again at Fair Day.
She spoke to us about some of the issues making news at the moment.
Religious Freedom
I think LGBTIQ Australians need to remain vigilant about their rights and any encroachment on laws that protect people from discrimination based on sex, race, age and also sexual orientation.
Labor holds a number of concerns about exemptions for religious institutions in anti-discrimination law. However, the proposed legislation has not been introduced to Parliament and therefore is subject to change based on public submissions.
Therefore, I encourage anyone concerned about the proposed legislation to make a submission to the Attorney General’s department. Submissions close 5 pm 2 October 2019.
Increased rates of HIV and STI infections in the far north.
(Senator Green is based in Cairns.)
This is an issue I am deeply passionate about. I remember the very real impact that cuts made by Campbell Newman and the LNP had on the community. Of the many cruel decisions taken by that government, the decision to cut vital sexual health programs to remote Indigenous communities in 2012 stands out.
Following the cuts, we saw a syphilis epidemic. It spread from the Torres Strait to Cape York, down to Cairns and Townsville. Finally, the contagion spread across northern Australia and eventually south to Adelaide.
This is just one example of why Labor will always fight cuts to health services.
It is not fair or just that in a country as rich as ours our Indigenous brothers and sisters suffer cuts to their health care services.
Queensland Health Minister, Steven Miles, took on the unenviable job of turning this tragedy around and is making inroads into this terrible and avoidable situation.
Climate Change
The Labor Party is the party for strong action on climate change. We are the only party of Government committed to real action.
Unfortunately, the Liberals and Nationals have no climate policy and no way to reduce Australia’s rising carbon pollution levels. They continue to discredit the overwhelming consensus of scientists. Additionally, they have no plan for long term jobs in the industries Queenslanders rely on.
On the other hand, the Greens political party are dismissive of concerns raised by workers who rely on mining jobs to support their regional community. Because of the terrible record in Australia of protecting workers after industry change, the prospect of more change is understandably concerning to working people.
We need to listen to the kids on strike, listen to the scientists, listen to the tourist operators, and listen to the communities in Queensland built on mining and resources. Then, we need to ask them what they want the future to look like. Every view is important and everyone deserves to have their say.
That is how we can make real progress. By bringing the community together to build a plan for the future instead of driving it apart.
Pride
I encourage younger readers of QN Magazine to be proud, be visible and not be afraid to be yourself.
If you are a young LGBTI person, possibly living in a remote or regional community, you should know that you are a cherished member of a much bigger community that is here for you.
Events like the Brisbane Pride March are a great way for the LGBTIQ community to come together and show what that love and support looks like.
We are a big, strong and diverse community. I am proud to represent you all in the Senate.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
