Last week, ABL hosted its second Interfirm networking event, marking International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia.
The Interfirm event held this year on IDAHOBIT day celebrated the theme of “Be You”, inviting guests to embrace and celebrate their true self. The event provided an opportunity to network with LQBTIQA+ professionals and allies, while featuring powerful presentations from ABL and esteemed guests, who shared their experiences as members, or supporters, of the LGBTIQA+ community and the issues facing the their community, and particularly the trans and gender diverse community, today.
ABL Pride co-chairs Shane Cabuka and Molly Scott emceed the event. Shane spoke about the history of IDAHOBIT and emphasised the importance of such campaigns which provide a semblance of hope. He reflected on his own experiences with homophobia, the comfort he takes in being able to bring his whole self to work, and his hope that living as his real self would inspire others to do the same.
Partner Teresa Ward spoke about ABL’s proud tradition of supporting those who face discrimination and empowering them to advocate for meaningful change. She emphasised that at ABL ‘Be You’ is not a trite phrase. It’s something that we seek to live as well as say. She spoke of her personal experience as the parent of a non-binary person, and their continuing efforts as a family to advocate for a more inclusive environment that recognises and celebrates diversity.
Ruby Mountford spoke on behalf of Tilde, an international film festival showcasing trans and gender diverse films and valued ABL client. They spoke about the global history of the trans and gender diverse communities, recognising their presence in cultures around the world, powerfully and poignantly acknowledging that trans and gender diverse individuals are not new, not a trend, and not a threat. While every queer person has felt without hope, they emphasised the importance of film in providing catharsis, and an opportunity to see what it is to love and to learn about queer people.
Mama Alto closed out the festivities, serenading the crowd as she descended the stairs in a wave of colour. Following her performance, she recognised that IDAHOBIT was both a day of celebration and a day to reflect on action and advocacy. She painted a picture of her dream life: a world without advocacy, not because advocacy lacks importance, but because it envisions a world where trans and gender diverse individuals can exist without experiencing harassment, discrimination, and violence. She ended with a call to action, that the coming year would be a year to stand up against homophobia, biphobia, interphobia and transphobia.
