Wednesday, 17 May 2023

IDAHOBIT

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (10:05): Recently I met in my Mornington office with Rainbow Connections Mornington Peninsula members, including founder Celeste, Ruth, Kobe, Anne and Monique. They, with me, oppose bullying, hatred, alienation, stigma and/or abuse based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. I saw and defended against such abuse growing up, and while not being gay myself, like the member for Hastings I copped bullying for being gay because I did not fit the mould.

Kobe asked me to attend IDAHOBIT events in Mornington today, 17 May. Being in Parliament, I was not able to; however, I offered to say some words in Parliament instead. On IDAHOBIT we oppose bullying, hatred and attacks based on one’s identity. I personally believe that people should be able to live and let live in a free and democratic society. We must support each other as fellow human beings with equal value. Concurrently, we must avoid misusing or weaponising phobias or isms as ad hominem attacks. We must not silence or cancel people who have differences of opinion on sexuality and gender identity, whether based on their religious or cultural beliefs, world views, academic opinions or otherwise. This weakens such words in defending people genuinely hated, attacked or bullied. We must push for a world that does not treat any human being as ‘the other’ and that allows for freedom of speech and association to hear each other out, to agree to disagree, to come to compromises and solutions and to love one another. On IDAHOBIT, let us look one another in the eye and treat each other as fellow human beings.