Media release – Equality Tasmania, 29 March 2021
TRANSGENDER FLAG RAISED OVER HOBART TOWN HALL TODAY
In a Tasmanian first, the transgender flag was officially raised over Hobart Town Hall today to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31st.
Speakers at the flag raising will be Hobart City Councillor, Jax Ewin, and recent Tasmanian Women’s Honour Roll inductee, Martine Delaney.
Ms Delaney said, “It’s beyond awesome to see the Hobart City Council flying trans colours, particularly after attacks against us in some Murdoch papers questioned the legitimacy of our existence, and after leaders on the religious right recently admitted at a “Church and State” conference that attacking trans rights is a path to political power.”
“The irony of Transgender Day of Visibility is that it is essential to eventually achieving trans Invisibility day, by which I mean the day when my transness is no longer of importance to anyone other than those I love and who share my life; the day when I’m valued and judged on my worth as a person, and not on my gender identity.”
Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Dr Charlie Burton, said, “It’s really exciting for trans and gender diverse Tasmanians to see our capital city so proudly and visibility affirm us. Stigma and discrimination can make life pretty tough for trans and gender diverse folk, and it means a lot to see that we are welcomed and included. I congratulate Hobart City Council and everyone else who helped make this happen.”
As well as flying the flags all week, the Hobart City Council has arranged for a number of locations around the city to be lit in the colours of the transgender flag.
They include the Railway Roundabout Fountain, the Franklin Square Fountain, the Elizabeth Street Mall, the Rose Garden Bridge and the Cardinal Lights at the Waterside Pavilion.
Meanwhile, Equality Tasmania will mark Transgender Day of Visibility by releasing a set of social media posts highlighting the achievements of Tasmanian transgender advocates over the past thirty years.
The advocates include Roz Houston who trained police officers in trans issues for many years, Russell Gates who was the first trans Tasmanian to talk about their personal journey on local TV, Stephanie Reid who lobbied for the removal of Tasmania’s former laws against cross-dressing, and Martine Delaney who is nationally-renowned as a trans community advocate.
