Pride WA President Curtis Ward and Senior Vice President Gerry Matera have penned an Open Letter to the business community calling for greater support for Pride WA and the LGBTQI+ community in WA.
An Open Letter to WA Business Community
Let us be very clear. The war against intolerance is far from over in Western Australia.
According to research, LGBTQI+ people are still far more at risk for mental health issues and homelessness than heterosexual people, and more than half of the LGBTQI+ community still hide their identity at work. That’s a tough load when you’re just trying to get the job done.
So, besides the rainbow flag tokens and Wear It Purple day gestures, what are you doing to create a genuine culture shift that supports inclusion and diversity in the workplace and community at large?
When we ‘rose up’ in 1990 as a grass roots community group, it was at a time when LGBTQI+ people experienced daily discrimination in the community and in the eyes of the law. As public awareness increased and laws improved, we have been able to spread our wings. We are eternally grateful to those who support our cause.
Sadly, it’s not enough.
We are now in a dangerous period of oblivious complacency with many satisfied that issues relating to LGBTQI+ have been adequately addressed, leaving them to inadvertently fester. There remains a stark need for greater education and advocacy in our work.
In 2021, recognising the breadth of its responsibility as the peak body for LGBTQI+ Western Australians, Pride WA made a clear decision to fully step up to these tasks and hire our first paid CEO, Choon Tan.
On Saturday 27 November, the LGBTQI+ community will once again turn it on for Perth – but this year it is about shining the spotlight on endurance.
We understand our high-profile festivities offer businesses exposure, affiliation value and community recognition, but this year we are asking our business and industry partners to back their involvement with extended financial support so that Pride WA can help deliver life-changing, community strengthening programs and support across WA – initiatives spanning three areas of impact: advocacy, education and support.
We know this is both a bold and risky move and we hope it will encourage businesses to look beyond the rainbow ticks, purple clothes and PrideFest Float gestures to determine the depth of their conviction.
But here is our promise. As you and your organisation increase your support to this incredibly important social cause, we will return it in an abundance of Pride.
Are you and your business ready to step up to the float?
For more information about Pride WA, visit: www.pridewa.com.au for details.
Image: Pride WA Logo (supplied)