The second annual Equal Love Rally was warmly welcomed again by the Border last Saturday.
“I think this year’s was more successful in the way that you could tell people were a bit more confident to turn up and engage themselves,” organiser Rhiannon Konigson said.
The rally included a myriad of stalls including forget-me-not cupcakes, ACON for sexual health and safe sex, Hume Phoenix and Way Out.
“People in rural communities are feeling the effects of homophobia which is quite sad,” Ms Konigson said.
“The best thing I found with doing the rally is that people were deciding to come out – they felt a lot more comfortable, they made a lot of friends.
“There’s the political side – maybe the government will take note, but there’s definitely that community vibe to the whole thing where young and old can feel like there’s a little safe haven for them.”
Sheridan Williams and Mark Green.
Ms Konigson began the rally last year after a chance discussion with a friend.
“My friend Evan and I were speaking on the phone and saying how it would have been lovely to go to one of the Melbourne rallies,” she said.
“I said it would be so much easier to have one in Albury because I could just go to that without having to travel and he said ‘let’s do it!’
“So we started calling people and we started it together, then we made our committee.”
Ms Konigson herself is heterosexual, but is passionate about opening doors for local gay and lesbian people.
“I’ve got a lot of gay friends who have gone down the street and been called names and they’re the most beautiful people,” Ms Konigson said.
“I just can’t understand why someone would want to speak to somebody like that, I just don’t understand it. It annoyed me so much to see people suffering at the hands of bullies.”
Author: Krysten Manuel
Publication: star Community
Date: 16 October 2013