Looking Ahead: Australia in 2016

Australia this year will once again host one of the most varied and interesting selection of IDAHOT events. From small local events and ceremonies to spectacular public displays, Australia’s calendar will be filled with a host of incredible actions for May 17.
In Western Sydney, local activists and the Open Door Community of Christ will host a picnic day on May 17 to celebrate members of the local LGBTI community. As well as showing solidarity, the church group hope to shine a light on the difficulties faced by LGBTI individuals and to encourage others to take a stand against discrimination. The event will be attended by over 200 people, including politicians and religious leaders, and will also run alongside local IDAHOT events run by campaigners and local authorities.
Also in Sydney, LGBT film project Queer Screen will host a special screening of 2015 lesbian romance Carol. Tickets for the film will help raise funds for local groups working with the LGBT community.
A number of other events will also be held in local communities across Australia. In Brisbane local landmarks will once again be lit in rainbow colors, including the city’s largest bridge (thanks to the Brisbane LGBTIQ Action Group), while organizations including businesses, charities, and even police will also mark the day within their local communities.
Across the region the Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance service will mark the day by flying the rainbow flag.
In the city of Toowoomba the local branch of PFLAG will hold a Rainbow Picnic for the LGBT community and their allies. The event will take place May 15th and is encouraging participants to begin a conversation about the themes surrounding IDAHOT 2016.
Australia will also see its first “Move in May”, as the Melbourne based Stand Up group aims to gather a 5000-strong crowd to march against heteronormativity on May 17.
In Hobart, Tasmania, local activists will hold a breakfast gathering for IDAHOT 2016. The event promises to be a fun social event for the LGBT community and allies, as well as an important fundraiser for local LGBT projects.
In Townsville, students at James Cook University have invited the public to join them in celebrating IDAHOT 2016. Student campaigners will be present on the university’s campus to discuss issues of sexuality and gender identity with fellow students, all to mark IDAHOT 2016.
In Adelaide, local community organisers have planned an LGBT picnic event to mark the day. The event invites members of the LGBT community, and allies, to come together to enjoy the day in a casual setting.
In Darwin, Victoria, local authorities will make the day with a public flag-raising ceremony (the rainbow flag, of course!) and a film screening of newly-released documentary GayBy. Details of the day’s programme can be found online.
In Gisborne, Victoria Macedon Health Ranges will hold a special screening of Kuma Hina, a film which focuses on the experiences of indigenous Pacific Islanders. The film is free to the public.
In Melbourne, La Trobe university will host a film screening and talk to mark IDAHOT 2016. The event is organised by the university’s Psych Society to support 2016’s theme of mental health and wellbeing and is free to the public.
In Frankston City local council authorities have invited members of the public to help them mark the day with a morning flag raising event. The event will see the rainbow flag raised to mark IDAHOT 2016 and will also feature public talks and a free morning tea.
National banking service ANZ will help mark the day with fundraising and public displays in business sites across the country. Staff will mark the day in various ways, while funds raised will go directly to LGBT charities and the IDAHOT committee.
Also on a national scale, a number of student groups will hold events on their campus in support of IDAHOT Australia. Plans are currently in place for Melbourne,
For more information on events and news please keep an eye out for our upcoming 2016 annual reports.