The Sydney World Pride Festival and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who are supporting the Human Rights Conference to be held in Sydney from 01-03 March 2023, need to be held accountable for their exclusion of scholarships for queer refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as their presentation on the issue of international forced migration of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) people.
We are very disturbed and disappointed by the failure of the conference organisers and funding bodies to grant a scholarship or to hear from any of the network of advocates and activists that Rainbow Communities Tasmania Inc. has facilitated from the 76 countries that execute, imprison, persecute, and torture these people. We would like to see activists from these countries be a part of the discussion and make presentations.
Whilst the independent UN expert, Victor Madrigal- Berloz is a key speaker, he has failed to address the submission delivered to him by Rainbow Communities Tasmania Inc. addressing concerns of advocates about the lack of access to UN offices in the relevant countries.
The advocates from the 76 countries are devastated about the rejection of their application for scholarship(s) and the omission of a conference presentation on their situation. In addition, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade failed to support a presentation or representation through funding of the Human Rights Conference.
The courageous demonstration by the British activist Peter Tatchell at the Qatar World Cup is an exceptional example to the conference organisers of this missed international opportunity.
This issue is the new frontier of LGBTIQ+ activism for change inside the 76 countries and specialised support for the gay immigrants forced out of them.
Who is advising them?