Pride March in Melbourne

February 2, 2016 by Michael Barnett
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Melbourne’s Jewish Community has come out in force to participate in the annual Pride March in St Kilda.  

Proud Pride marchers

Proud Pride marchers

The largest contingent to date, this year saw community stalwarts Aleph Melbourne and the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria joined by a strong presence from youth groups Habonim Dror, SKIF, Netzer and Hashomer Hatzair.  Members of AUJS and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria also marched in solidarity.

Also in attendance were David Southwick, MLA for Caulfield and  Victorian Shadow Minister for Health Mary Wooldridge.

Pride March celebrates the rich diversity of Melbourne’s LGBTIQ community.  Aleph Melbourne has participated every year since 1997.  The significant presence of Jewish youth groups in Pride March over the past three years shows that increasingly, young people are passionate about equality, inclusion, respect and social justice.

Michael Barnett told J-Wire: “=”Having attended every Pride March since 1997 it is humbling in 2016 to see so many people from the Jewish community come together to show support for same-sex attracted and gender diverse people.  That David Southwick and Mary Wooldridge stood with pride amongst the Jewish community on the day showed just how important recognising such diversity is to a healthy and productive society.

I have seen more younger Jews attend Pride March in the last three years than ever before and it’s because of discrimination in the law that many of these people turn up, as they want their peers to have the same rights and opportunities as they do.  The numbers are growing year on year and the enthusiasm for equality is unstoppable.
To see the Jewish Community Council of Victoria represented at the Pride March was a significant milestone not only for Pride March but for the Jewish Community.  I commented to David Marlow as we marched down Fitzroy street that it’s not every day the Jewish community receives such enthusiastic applause.”

Comments

3 Responses to “Pride March in Melbourne”
  1. Henry Herzog says:

    Good for you David Southwick. Hopefully you can help convince your colleagues in the Liberal Party to also accept same sex marriage.

  2. Michael Barnett says:

    More photos from the day here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117320388330743625038/20160131PrideMarch

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