On March 1, the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade will fill the streets of inner-city Sydney in a confident assertion of all people's right to choose and live their sexual orientation, and to mark the political struggles that have won some freedom of choice, but still have much to achieve.
This year, Socialist Alliance will be joining the parade, marching proudly behind a huge red and gold banner: “Fighting against heterosexism, war and racism".
Reprinted below is the NSW Socialist Alliance's policy statement on lesbian and gay rights, around which it will be campaigning for the March 22 NSW election.
The Socialist Alliance supports politically independent and self-organising
social movements that fight the oppression of women, lesbians and gay men,
transgenders, people with HIV and sex workers through mass action, public
demonstrations, lobbying, voting and by building alliances with the broader 
working
class, feminist, and anti-capitalist movements.
We oppose sexism, racism, ageism, and discrimination against people with disabilities within the lesbian and gay communities, as we do in the broader community.
We support and campaign for the following demands:
* Retain “homosexuality” as a ground in NSW Anti-Discrimination Act.
* Strengthen NSW anti-discrimination law by removing exemptions for organisations run by religious groups.
* All public funding for education, youth, aged, health, employment and welfare to be directed through non-discriminatory government and/or secular non-profit community organisations.
* Reduce the age of consent for sex between men to 16 years.
* Legislate against use of non-violent homosexual “advance” as a defence of “provocation” in violent crime.
* No discrimination on the basis of homosexuality or transgenderism in child custody and adoption.
* Full social, legal, trade union and industrial recognition of same sex relationships.
* No discrimination in entitlements to welfare on the basis of relationship status, gender or sexual orientation.
* For the right of every worker to nominate who will inherit and benefit from their superannuation, irrespective of relationship status.
* State funding for anti-prejudice community education programs.
* Education in schools to incorporate positive material on homosexuality and transgender.
* State funding for rebuilding the Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras as a political celebration.
* State funding for gay, lesbian and transgender youth services, including an expansion of youth housing.
* Full union rights for workers in gay and lesbian services and businesses.
* Remove gender from identity documents such as birth certificates, drivers' licences, and passports.
[To join Socialist Alliance at Mardi Gras, or for more information, email: <m_schembri@hotmail.com> or <sydney@socialist-alliance.org>.]
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 26, 2003.
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