About 400 supporters flooded Sydney’s Town Hall on Sunday afternoon, calling for increased rights for trans people.
The large scale event celebrated the 45th anniversary of Sydney’s first Mardis Gras march on June 24, 1978, as well as the 1978 Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969 after the violent police raid of a New York gay bar.
The coalition of trans rights and community groups, including the Rainbow Rights Coalition, Safe Schools, the United Workers Union and Community Action for Rainbow Rights, Pride in Protest and the NSW Civil Liberties Council demanded tightened anti-discrimination laws to protect trans people when applying for jobs or housing, or when accessing healthcare and education.
They also called for the reinstatement of the Safe Schools program to teach students about gender diversity, and allow trans people to identify as their chosen gender without undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
Prior to the Trans Rights are Human Rights rally, the Rainbow Rights Coalition spokesperson Rachel Evans said the group had received threatening calls with blocked called IDs, which she believed were from right wing groups.
They contained homophobic, and life-threatening taunts including messages like: “You’re a bunch of f*****s, we’re going to come and kill you,” said Ms Evans.
Ms Evans said the organisation would be monitoring for further threats and had yet to contact police.
“In my experience, I have had death threats in organising queer action, and I…
