Both Dave and my parents moved their families to Australia in the mid 70ās. Daveās from the UK, and mine from El Salvador, we grew up in Western Sydney. It was a time of widespread discrimination of gay men, lesbians and trans people and because of the discrimination, it was a time when most people kept their sexuality a secret.
Even twenty odd years later as we grew up in Australia, attitudes hadnāt really changed. A 1997 report by the Australian Human Rights Commission, highlighted widespread discrimination of gay men, lesbian and trans people and called for āThe full realisation and protection of human rights and equality of opportunity require the adoption of positive measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and trans identity.ā
We want to celebrate and acknowledge how far the community has come whilst also acknowledging the ongoing pressures facing LGBTIQA+ people today. Itās why we are really proud to sponsor Newcastle Pride and in particular to support the next ātrail blazingā generation in the queer community and their push for more positive change.
We hope you enjoy getting to know some awesome Drag Queens from the Newcastle area in our first edition of Pride at Home as they open up their homes to you to tell their story.
With love, Roland Campos.