Sydney queer activist group Pride In Protest is holding a “take back the streets” event this weekend on Oxford Street that is billed as a night of revelry and rebellion.
The event is intended as a “protest and party” in response to the recent spate of religious conservative attacks on the LGBTI+ community.
“Reclaim Oxford St from right-wing bigots,” is the event’s tagline.
Pride in Protest spokesperson Melissa told GSN that this year the community has seen more hate crimes, attacks in parliament and marches by conservatives.
“We [the LGBTI+ community] belong here and we belong in the streets,” she said.
The event’s message is broader than just the location of Oxford Street, said Melissa, and it's intended to show that the community will not be pushed back into the shadows.
“The response to these attacks is to occupy the streets, it isn’t to stay at home and live in fear,” she said.
The plan is to meet at Hyde Park at 9pm and then march up to Taylor Square where there will be an open-mic format for speeches and drag acts to take place.
Melissa told GSN that the group will march up Oxford Street and occupy the roads as part of its protest. In the eyes of the police, this would make it an unauthorised protest.
“Our safety is in numbers – it is not in the hands of the police,” she said.
On Facebook, more than 180 people have indicated they will attend the march. Another 845 have said they are interested in going.
Police confirmed to GSN that Pride In Protest had not reached out to work with them to ensure the safety of the event.
“The NSW Police respects the right of individuals and groups to protest; however, those involved must do so peacefully and in compliance with the law,” NSW Police said.
In April 2022, the NSW Parliament passed legislation to prevent “illegal protesting” on major roads, bridges, tunnels, public transport and infrastructure facilities. Offences carry a maximum penalty of $22,000 or two years in jail, or both.
While the protest is not specific to Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, many in the Sydney community have noted a recent rise in homophobia and violent attacks on Oxford Street, including outside the nightclub Noir, where a recent knife attack took place.
The nightclub has had a number of public complaints against it. Numerous members of the LGBTI+ community have said they feel unsafe by the guests that the club attracts.
Drag queen Glitter King previously published an open letter to the club saying: “You should be embarrassed by the homophobic clientele you are bringing to the streets and ashamed of the damage you are doing to the queer community here in Sydney.”
Earlier this year a petition on Change.org called for Noir to be removed, which at the time of writing has attracted more than 1000 signatures.
Back in June, Noir said it was introducing a number of measures to eradicate anti-social behaviour.
It is not suggested that Noir’s owner and management condone any homophobic behaviour by its patrons. "We stand with you [the queer community], we don't condone any of the behaviour that's happened,” Noir’s co-owner Ronny Dubé has previously said.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
