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Uh, [00:00:30] and, uh [00:01:00] uh [00:01:30] oh. Oh, it to go Mhm. I know. And Yeah, OK. [00:02:00] Oh, Oh, oh, yeah. Uh, [00:02:30] everybody. And welcome to the relaunch of our rainbow Room and also the launch of, uh, the Children [00:03:00] of Harvey Milk Book. Can I firstly, thank uh, our colleague Adrian for his tonight. And also obviously an acknowledgement of, uh, Mr Speaker for his hosting. Can I also add our welcome to our international guests to Andy and your team, Uh, and many others who have travelled to be here, uh, we particularly want to acknowledge our community members, our community leaders, and [00:03:30] I think you all should be aware we have youth representatives from all of our political parties that was specifically done because we wanted to acknowledge, I guess the history, the legacy, but also the fact we've got a lot more work to do. So Jen and I co-chair our cross party LGBT group with Chris Bishop, who sends his apologies. I see, uh, Erica Stanford here, And if there are any, there are many other colleagues but the people that have been actively involved [00:04:00] in our cross party group, uh, and I also want to acknowledge the diplomatic community have joined us tonight We have representatives from the USA from Australia, from France, Britain, Argentina, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany. So we are here of project uplift. And that's what I'm gonna call it, Mr. Speaker, we'll talk about that. Uh, and also the launch of the book for Children of Harvey Milk. There are posters, uh, at the end of where the books are [00:04:30] it celebrate the 16 LGBT, uh, members of our parliament. So that's my welcome. I'm not I'm gonna over to my colleague, uh, who's going to do a more formal welcome? Not sure about the formal bit. Um, I don't think it's our typical style, but I did want to acknowledge, um, add my voice as a co-chair to acknowledge all of you here, Mr Speaker, Former and current ministers [00:05:00] and members of Parliament, members of the Rainbow Network uh, members of the diplomatic corps CEO commissioner, who I understand is here, and the head of parliamentary services, the deputy clerk of the Health and House and the team responsible for the amazing room that we're about to see, uh, this evening and the youth wings of our political parties and community leaders and friends. Um, so just to explain that the [00:05:30] Rainbow Network is Parliament's equivalent of a gay straight alliance that you might find in a school where a mix of people from different parties, but and sexual orientations I think we've all got the same gender identity but not making assumptions. Um, and we're all committed to progressing LGBT QI a plus rights through parliament. Um, and we all you network into our [00:06:00] parties to do this. Um, and I behalf of one of the co chairs I really want to add our we my welcome to this event, the opening of the Rainbow Room that finally, I think, reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our community And, um, and the documentary that we will see telling our story and the New Zealand launch of the book Children of Harvey Milk on how LGBT Q politicians [00:06:30] change the world. And I do just want to say that, um and no disrespect to those who were involved with the previous incarnation of the Rainbow Room. Um, but I do think it's fair to say that while it's been great to have it here, it was really dreary and depressing um, rather than inspiring, and I don't think it reflected our fabulousness. So it's nice to see that it finally, I think, will go some way to [00:07:00] reflecting the fabulousness of our community. So I'd also want to just note that last year, Parliament unanimously supported legislation to enable the expungement of homosexual convictions, and the government issued an apology for effectively ruining the lives of those men and many people around them. That, for me, was an acknowledgement that decisions made in this place [00:07:30] have caused enduring harm to rainbow communities. We know that we haven't eliminated yet all the attitudes and policies that cause harm to our community. But it's great to take a moment to recognise the influence of our activists inside and outside of here, to help our democracy deliver for all [00:08:00] people. We have a much better chance of supporting everyone when our parliament reflects our diversity and when our communities can see the harmful history acknowledged and progress continuing, I hope Andrew's book in this room and documentary help inspire us on all recounts because we still have much [00:08:30] work to do. So thanks again to everyone here for all your work inside and outside of this place. It's always lovely. Thank you. So I'm a virgin at being an MC, believe it or not. So I'm slightly, uh, no, I'm not terrified. Actually, this is pretty fabulous. Looking at it, all of you. [00:09:00] Amazing people. It's now my great honour to ask one of our true champions, actually, and I want to knowledge, uh, the right honourable Trevor Mallard as being one of those Queer straight Alliance champions. His work in this area, uh, is unquestioned. And so it gives me great pleasure, Mr. Speaker to actually invite you to speak to us. [00:09:30] Um, I feel like I'm the third string welcome, uh, as as part of this and with an ever moving, um, thing in front of me. But I do want to, uh, in particular acknowledge your Excellencies from the diplomatic core. Our guests from throughout the Rainbow Rainbow community from a diverse range of organisations and people from government [00:10:00] um, special mention of Louisa and Jan Chris for the work that you've done, uh, leading this group, um, in, uh, in into grant. Um, I do want to, uh, also, um because I thought Marilyn was going to be here to acknowledge Marilynn wearing and the work that she did, period that she was hearing immediately afterwards. And I think especially in supporting a nervous young member from Hamilton. Uh, during [00:10:30] the mid 19 eighties, she was a example. And in tremendous report, um, I also want to acknowledge, uh, Cynthia Fran who Who did, uh, in that time and Ruth Dyson who voluntarily, uh, did, uh um there are, um, two, former [00:11:00] late members Vin Young and Catherine O'Regan, who, I think if we're talking about allies were allies, uh, in a time when it was just so much harder to do that sort of beside of me. Um, the room refurbishment has just not been a visual one. it's one of significance. It is brighter. And it is a sign of the diverse and inclusive parliament, [00:11:30] which is just so different from the Parliament that I was first a member of, um, I'm not sure if I'll pass on to Margaret Wilson, who has sent her apologies. In fact, Margaret is has been my support crew over the last week or so. Um um, Margaret, uh, dedicated the room in 2008. I won't pass on the fact that everyone thinks that it was, um, dreary. Um [00:12:00] uh, but it's good to get some of the legislation, uh, into the room, Uh, including in and just noting that the marriage equality bill, uh, has not, uh, had not passed at the time. If I seem slightly distracted now, it's because I've got really new hearing aids which run into my from my phone into my ear, and my phone is ringing and none of you can hear it, but it's really, really distracting. Um, but, you know, we've we've got a [00:12:30] lot of we've got a lot of progress that's been made over the over the decades since the room was opened. But we can continue to do more. We can strive to do better. And we can keep on honouring the people who shine leadership, uh, in the area. Um, our our society has changed, uh, and sort of slowly and often a bit behind society, sometimes a little bit ahead of society. Uh, our laws have changed, [00:13:00] too, and that's part of the role of members of Parliament. Um, we have artwork from Elizabeth, which is of special significance, and I'm sure people will enjoy. And I would like to, uh, add to the thanks to the team that put all of us especially so much, but especially the room together from the parliamentary service, the office of the clerk engagement team from the the whole parliamentary engagement team. We used to have [00:13:30] two. Now we have one special thanks to Jack O'Donnell, who has put an hours of work into the documentary the whole project team, the person who who's ringing me back now, uh, Darryl Lawson, Uh, who project managed the refurbishment and displays? Uh, Winton Homes, Uh, for, uh, coordinating, uh, with the parliamentary rainbow network, uh, into Luke Harris for working on the legislation on the walls. Um, so I do want to [00:14:00] pay tribute to people who have worked on this project since the beginning. Should be proud of the work. And I just hope the room can be a firm symbol for everyone. No matter who you are or who you love. This is your parliament. Your house. And it is your democracy. Thank you very much. So I just wanna add [00:14:30] thanks to Carmen Moran, Uh, and also to the wonderful rain in Jan's office. Ray when you've been absolutely outstanding in an acknowledgement of my E A Joel, uh, as well. So without further ado, this man's got other things on his mind, but his priority is being here tonight. He is our finance minister. He is one of our co master of our rainbow community. It is the honourable Grant Robertson. [00:15:00] I'm tempted to say I won't bother giving my speech because I'm sure it's already been leaked to the audience. But, um but given that I haven't actually written anything down, then, um, that that's not possible. Um, firstly, can I add my thanks to Louisa Jan Chris, the whole of the network? Uh, and [00:15:30] also, um, the speaker of the house. Um, this is actually a really cool place to do a function. I've never been to one in this atrium here, and it's a beautiful part of the building. So thank you, Trevor, for, uh, having us here today. Also add my acknowledgements to all of the dignitaries in the room, particularly the diplomatic corps, but also this the amazing array of of friendly faces that I see out in front of me. There are representatives of our community here in Wellington, particularly who I look at and I I miss, actually, [00:16:00] because I don't get to go to melan Scott's bar as often as I'd like to, Um um, I got in trouble for doing this at the parade, but I want to make a special reference to two of the activists who've already been referred to. And they've been activists throughout every piece of the legislation that's on the walls of the room. You'll see that, and that's Des Smith and John Joli who are right in the middle of the room there. Um, the the leg, the dear and John's legacy [00:16:30] in terms of activism in Wellington is just, uh, un unparalleled. Um, and I got the thing I got in trouble about Was was telling everybody. So I've done it in public, John. So I'm gonna do it again. Is to wish John um particularly a very happy 90th birthday for the other day. So well done, John. And I tell you what, John. If John if I'm rocking a pink sweater at 90 the way you are, then I'll be very, very happy indeed. Um, really What? I want [00:17:00] to do two things tonight. The first of those is to acknowledge, um, the past and I'm and the good news. I'm also going to do the present and the future. And so John and dear are part of all of those three. But But it is really important to take a moment at this time to think about the legacy that brought us to where we are today and the shoulders on whom the people on whose shoulders we stand. Um, because none of us would be here and be in that group of current crop of parliamentarians if it weren't for the people who [00:17:30] fought and struggled when things were much, much tougher than they are today. They're very tough for some people today, and it's still a real journey and a real struggle for people as they come to terms with themselves and their community. Um uh reacts to that. But that struggle over the past is just huge. And and Trevor has spoken. And, you know, I've just ducked into the Rainbow Room because I'm probably gonna have to leave early. So I snuck in to see what it looks like. It looks amazing, has really pulled out the budget on the light bulbs. I can tell you it's right in [00:18:00] there. Um, but But as I But as I stood in there, I did reflect on the fact that that, you know, we only come here on the shoulders of those who've gone before. And so there's several of the people in the room for whom I I give that to. But I just think all of us know and and it's already been mentioned the expungement legislation that we passed last year. And you know, any of the stories that that those of us who've worked with people who wanted their convictions expunge when you hear those stories you just realise, as Jan said, the devastating [00:18:30] effect, um, on people's lives. But then the fortitude and the courage that those people have showed are are coming forward from here. Um, and as I say, I think there's some fantastic photograph question there of most of the list of MP S that you read out. Melissa. Um, I reckon maybe we might create a little allies corner, Um, at some point. And, um, just a little one, you know, um, down there, because I think we do owe a lot. Also not only to our rainbow community, but also to our allies that have gone before [00:19:00] us as well. In terms of the present, I just really want to celebrate the the fact that we have this network, uh, that it is doing such good work and looking at the issues that are still unresolved. And I particularly want to make an an acknowledgment in that context to our trans. Um, we know that there is more to do. And as the world moves and evolves and rolls, we must make sure that as a parliament, we're there, um, walking alongside and leading where we possibly can and then also [00:19:30] to the future. I know that the youth wings of the political parties are here. Um, I hope, um, and I won't choose which people, but I hope that many of you will find a place for yourself here or in other elected offices over time, and that you'll be able to stand on the shoulders again of what has gone before Fran has arrived. Hello, Fran. Fran Wilde. Definitely head of the allies' corner. Um, so yeah, I really look and I'm hugely inspired by [00:20:00] the activism of the generations that are coming through and on all issues, but including on issues to do with the rainbow community. And so I really want to acknowledge all of you. So for me, this is an extremely proud day that this parliament, um, now has a room that is joyous and full of light. Uh, but also a place that acknowledges our legacy and where we want to go in the future. I do, however, want to talk a little bit about the book that we're also here, um, to celebrate today. The Children of Harvey Milk. Um, Andrew Reynolds' [00:20:30] book. Um, I have a story to tell Andrew about this book. Uh, at Christmas time, I was in San Francisco. Predictable holiday destination. Uh, and, um, my partner ALF got bored with me hanging out at the bookshop. And so he took off to go and have a look around Chinatown. And I was leafing through the books and I picked this up, and I genuinely didn't know that it had come out. I knew some work had been done on it, but I didn't know that it came out and I picked it up, and I did what all of you have to admit those [00:21:00] of you in public life do when you see a book like this. I went to the index and I looked at the index and I thought, Oh, you know, I've had nothing to do with this book. I'm not gonna be in here. And then I saw that I was and I said out loud, Oh, my God, I'm in here Now. You're in San Francisco, you're in the United States, and that means that whatever you say or do, everybody else is involved in. And so a woman who was standing a few, um, paces along went, Are you are you really in there? And so I showed her that I was. [00:21:30] And then we looked at the page where I was referred to, and we read that out. And then she got all these other people from behind the counter to come over and say and say he's in the book. He's in the book. Uh, it was It is and was a great moment to see that. But actually, it is a tremendous, uh, set of stories which are all very different in their own way about how LGBT Q politicians have changed the world, [00:22:00] the struggles that people have been through but the great things that we've done as well. And so Andrew and the team, I really want to acknowledge this book. I think it is a fantastic contribution. Harvey is one of my political heroes. I've quoted him in Parliament multiple times, and I want to finish with one of the things that actually is mentioned in the book that I did say that when the marriage equality bill, um, was went through II, I quoted the story of of Harvey Milk talking about the kid [00:22:30] from Altoona, Pennsylvania, who rings him up. Um, after he's been elected to just say thank you and what I want to do today. And and he carried on and said that what we've got to do is give people hope, because if you don't have hope, you don't have much else, and hope doesn't do everything. But hope does, um, fuel the engine of our movement, fuel the hopes of all of our people. So the dreams of all of our people. So on behalf of all of us, I hope I can say to [00:23:00] Andrew and the team this book fills me with hope and joy. Thank you very much for having published it in. So consider this a game of rugby. That's the first quarter. The second, uh, quarter is going to be the screening of this amazing documentary. Uh, but before I do that, I do want to acknowledge Tim Barnett. It was actually Tim's request, uh, to [00:23:30] the honourable Margaret Wilson for the Rainbow Room, Uh, that it came to be. And actually, I think the distinction between the room historically and today is that historically, we celebrated the community and we celebrated the pieces of legislation that we collectively work to get through. What you'll see going forward actually is a celebration of the actors involved in that, And Fran, being here is incredibly special. Uh, but the one thing I do want to highlight is that law reform [00:24:00] has only been possible because of cross party work. And I want to acknowledge how important it is that we've got representatives here from the National Party from the Green Party from, uh, New Zealand. First, anyone in the house there used to be historically some support there, obviously the Labour Party. But we can't do this unless we build coalitions across the house. And so the second part of this, for, uh, act, uh, is a screening of this wonderful documentary by Jack O'Donnell. And I welcome [00:24:30] people to come and get drinks down here. Uh, and after this, uh, we will then hear from Professor Andrew Reynolds before the Mr Speaker leads us through to the Rainbow Room. So whoever's got the button, let's play the documentary Ilda. Hello? Oh, everybody. Where's [00:25:00] Georgina? The diva? Where is she? You made me cry. Uh, can I just say that kind of typifies what tonight is all about? We've gone from this chronicle of legislation that we've, uh, had passed through the house to telling our stories in this amazing celebration. So we're up to the third quarter team, and it's my absolute pleasure now to introduce to you all, [00:25:30] Professor uh, Andy Reynolds, who is an absolute champion for our community. What he's done since 1976 is look at every single parliament in the world and correct me if I'm wrong. But there's been 396 of us, and of those 16 have come from our parliament. So this amazing man has chosen to dedicate his life to our celebration [00:26:00] and in that celebration to enable us to tell our story. So it's my absolute honour and privilege to introduce Andy. I'll let him introduce Peter and Sarah because they're pretty special people, too. Uh, but, uh, Andy, thank you so much for coming to a New Zealand to launch a book. And obviously, I'm incredibly proud to call you my my friend Andy Reynolds. Thank you. [00:26:30] Thank you so much, Louisa. Really. It's a joy and an honour to be here. I know you're all very keen to look at the Rainbow Room, so we'll only keep this third quarter to a few more minutes. Um, I'm really grateful to the speaker of the House to the Rainbow Network and all the out LGBT Q I MP S that we have with us today and all the out MP S that have been in New Zealand's parliamentary history. Um, [00:27:00] I am a British person. I live in America. I sat through your prime minister's question time today, so I know that politics can be an ugly sport. Politics is often brings out some of the worst behaviours of humanity, and we often underestimate and perhaps target politicians with behaviours that we see as the most [00:27:30] negative. But if you think about it, politics has the capacity to transform lives and in the gay rights in the LGBT Q field, we see that remarkable capacity of individuals through their own willpower, through their own strength, through their own tenacity, through their own courage to transform the lies. As Chris Carter said of Children up and down the country, the book in some ways seems like an academic [00:28:00] treatise on elections and government and legislation exceptionally tedious. But it's not about that at all. It's about love, and I don't want to over sentimentalise this, but I will. It's about big and small love, because politicians who are out LGBT Q representatives around the world generate empathy and respect and reservoirs of love [00:28:30] from their straight and CIS gendered colleagues and constituents and friends and families. The book tells stories, as Grant noted, of those queer politicians sitting next to the straight politician for years and years, and after a decade or so, the straight politician turns to their queer colleague and says, on marriage equality, I can't vote [00:29:00] against you anymore. You're my friend. I know your husband. I know your kids. This is ridiculous. I'm not going to vote against you because you are you. You are Daniel. You are Jasmine. You are my friend. And that is true throughout the world, in legislatures that have out politicians. And I also think LGBT Q politicians in New Zealand and elsewhere have this capacity for a nation to rethink who it is. [00:29:30] I've spent a lot of time in Ireland over the last few years. And certainly New Zealand is a replica of the Irish experience. Ireland has said to its queer Children We're sorry. Come home. That poor gay kid growing up on the west coast of Ireland who couldn't survive as a gay kid in Ireland, fled to Australia or New Zealand to become a doctor. And in 2016, [00:30:00] Ireland said, You can come home now. We're sorry and that love for your people, that love for your Children is a dramatic enhancement of the quality of everybody's lives. And that even stretches in the book to families, the nuclear family, the father who was unable to embrace his gay son until his member of Parliament came out as gay, and the father rethinks his preconceived notions. [00:30:30] It is a remarkable level of power that individual members of Parliament who identify as queer have over the recent history, and I think we sometimes get complacent. But we should never underestimate this visibility. The Talmon says that even in the dark, the smallest of lights can illuminate one member of Parliament [00:31:00] one councillor, one visible legitimate representative of the queer community illuminates a very dark place for that kid growing up in a rural area who is beaten and humiliated every day for his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. They're little points of light, and so that's why it's such an honour for me to be in this room with many of the LGBT politicians from New Zealand. [00:31:30] But I want to acknowledge three individuals that as an observer have meant a lot to me. Chris Carter, being the first out member of parliament in New Zealand, transformed the psychology of what it was to be a queer person in New Zealand again. Sometimes we underestimate the challenge of being first. There's no role model, there's no safety nets. All the weight [00:32:00] of the community is on your shoulders. You speak for every day everywhere. And I think Chris Carter, who sadly is not with us today, should be recognised for his remarkable contribution to transforming society in New Zealand. Secondly, my friend Louisa Wald, who I've had the great fortune of travelling around the world with and talking about the book and other wear issues. I'm an observer, [00:32:30] and like everybody else around the world, I watched that video of marriage, equality being passed and I. I watched the gallery break into the song, and I watched the joy of the nation saying, This is who we are and it wasn't just Louisa, but Louisa gathered that wellspring of decency and harness them. And to me, it's symbolic [00:33:00] of what a nation can become. And I think Louise's leadership is transformative, and people around the world almost cry when they meet her joy because of that moment and what she's done. And finally, I want to pay testament to Georgina Beyer outside of these boundaries outside of this coastland, there isn't a person I know who is not Trans or who is not gender non conforming or, uh, intersects. Who [00:33:30] doesn't look to Georgina Baer as the iconic Gandhi of the movement. I know that's how she sees herself. But being the first in the world again is a remarkable achievement, and her courage, her tenacity, her authenticity transforms hearts and minds. I don't want to be melodramatic, but we know that queer kids around the world, [00:34:00] in places that are less affirming than in New Zealand, struggle every day with anxiety, with depression, with suicidal thoughts. But we know that when they see somebody in legitimate positions of power around them, they are reassured. They feel validated. They feel worthy. They feel they can aspire to something in the future. So every queer out elected politician in the newspaper [00:34:30] on television is life affirming and to many millions of kids, that is life changing. And in many cases that is life saving. Because you see yourself as an authentic, real, legitimate person member of humanity and you see a pathway out of the difficulties. I've got the great fortune to travel with friends on this book tour, and we started in Australia [00:35:00] and then we came to New Zealand. We did Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and now in the parliament in Wellington. I brought with me one of my friends from the United States, Sarah McBride, who's gonna very briefly speak to you in a second America, As you know, its state is telling trans people that they are invalid. States within the union are penalising and perniciously attacking [00:35:30] trans people. Sarah McBride was the first trans person in America to speak to a major party national convention in 2016, the convention that nominated Hillary Clinton. Sarah was the first trans person to work as an openly Trans person in the White House under President Obama. She has become the authentic voice of progress and change of decency in the trans movement [00:36:00] in America, and you will hear much more from her over the years. And after she speaks, we'll hear from Peter Tatchell. Many of you will know of Peter Tatchell. Peter Tatchell has been an advocate for human rights and queer rights for almost half a century, which is remarkable because he's only 32. That's a joke. Um, Peter came through one of the most homophobic [00:36:30] and pernicious attacks upon any gay person in a by election in Britain in 1983 and after that he dedicated himself to the extra political avenue of transforming our idea of where human rights should lie. He campaigns for the individual and the community. He is an equal opportunity advocate for any marginalised group, and he has done more than almost any other person [00:37:00] in the Western world that I know of to protect and save and enhance the beauty of every individual in the world. So it's a great pleasure for me to invite up Sarah McBride and Peter Tatchell, who will bring you greetings from their home countries. Thank you so much, Andy. Uh, good evening, everyone. Mr. Speaker, it's an honour to be with [00:37:30] you this evening. Americans aren't known for our self awareness, but I'm going to be self aware and try to keep this brief. Um, it is incredibly fitting that this new and improved Rainbow Room will be dedicated near the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City because one of the many, many legacies of Stonewall is the power of an individual act to reverberate around the world. And at a time when LGBT [00:38:00] Q people find themselves under attack in far too many corners of the globe, including in my home country of the United States. The actions and the work here in the New Zealand Parliament have never been more important because for the last several decades you all have been at the forefront of the movement for the rights and dignity of LGBT Q people around the world, from marriage, equality to the globally historic election of Georgina Baer. You all have not just made change for people here in New [00:38:30] Zealand. You have set the bar and challenged the world to live up to our highest ideals and to be our best Selves. And so my hope, as we dedicate this Rainbow Room, is that the work and the words and the actions that fill it in the years to come will be work and actions that continue to challenge not just people in New Zealand to be better, but continue to challenge advocates and activists and politicians [00:39:00] and people around the globe to move equality and justice forward for LGBT Q people to continue to set that bar higher and higher to continue to challenge the world to continue to demonstrate through the power of your example, that equality must always win, and someday, years from now when? As we say in the United States, our understanding of we, the people, finally includes all of us. A young LGBTQ kid will grow [00:39:30] up here in Wellington or in Russia or in South America or in New York City, and never have to know what these moments of progress felt like to all of us, because they will never know anything different. And that will be because of advocates and activists and out politicians who dreamed of a different world. It will be because of everyday people who marched and fought for a better tomorrow. It will, because of allies who stood up or spoke out. It will be because of all of you. And so it is an honour to be with you [00:40:00] tonight. And it's a privilege to be with you in this fight. Thank you so much for your hospitals, hospitality and welcome welcoming us this evening. Thank you all. Well, it's great to be back in Wellington after an absence of 48 years. I came here in 1971 en route from Melbourne to London and stayed in the Wellington Y MC a [00:40:30] uh for those of you, perhaps don't know Y MC A stands for young men's Christian association. From my memory of the Wellington Y MC A. In those days, there were an awful lot of very handsome young men, but not much Christian association. I, too, want to pay tribute to out LGBT plus candidates and elected officials here in New Zealand [00:41:00] and around the world and the contribution they have made to transforming their societies. Um, not only in many cases, on gender and sexual minority issues, but many of these out LGBT politicians have also been champions of women's equality of indigenous and ethnic minority rights of environmental protection and the rights and social justice of working people. [00:41:30] They have been true. Change makers change makers for our communities, but change makers also for the wider society as well. In a month's time, we'll be celebrating the Stonewall uprising in New York in 1969. It was a fight back, the first major fight back against police harassment of our communities, and that was very important. [00:42:00] But perhaps the most important thing that came out of the Stonewall uprising was the formation of the Gay Liberation Front, first in New York and then other American cities and then cities across the world. And I was greatly privileged at the age of 19 to join the newly formed London Gay Liberation Front. All these movements had one or two things in common. First of all, they had an agenda [00:42:30] not just of LGBT plus rights, but of social transformation. They wanted equality but a new, higher level of equality, not mere conformity or a stimulation to what existed, but a vision of what society could be a new vision of equality that would benefit not just LGBT plus people, but also straight and cisgender people as well. And that movement also allied [00:43:00] with other social movements in the knowledge and understanding that united together we are stronger. So in London we worked with the Women's and Black Liberation Movement. We support the struggles of trade unions and working class people for social justice. Sometimes that support was not reciprocated. But we said whatever you fail to do to us, we will nevertheless support you. And in the end, those other social [00:43:30] movements came to understand that our movement was also important and they, too, eventually gave us solidarity. As we look forward to this historic stonewall, 50 celebration. I ask that we all renew that fight and that vision for a better society. In my own words don't accept society as it is dream of what society could be [00:44:00] and then help make it happen. Thank you so much. Well, team, we're in the last quarter and before we move through and we follow Mr Speaker, our Pied Piper, Uh, I just want to quote Harvey milk. All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their [00:44:30] full potential. That's what it's all about. So, Mr Speaker, uh, wherever you are Yeah, we you know, you know, have this done. [00:45:00] You're all politicians. Get on this side. Yeah, the shortest one in front. Thank you. Alright. OK, come on, then. Come on. Come on, come on in. It gives me lots [00:45:30] of pleasure to declare the rainbow room reopened. Getting a bit serious. [00:46:00] Very good. Oh, should we bring the steps.
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