Oxford Street Precinct Business Pride Charter Aims To Bring The Community Together
Image: Image: Matt Akersten
A new pride business charter has been launched in Sydney in an effort to ensure Sydney鈥檚 Oxford Street maintains its queer image and rich history.
In collaboration with the City of Sydney鈥檚 Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich and representatives from the Oxford Street Pride Steering Committee (OSPSC), the charter aims to ensure the visibility of safe spaces for 17c起草社区+ people and increase awareness of any issues that are important to the community.
On Tuesday, June 6, Moore and Greenwich met with local businesses, community members and OSPSC representatives as they officially launched the Oxford Street Precinct Business Pride Charter.
Moore hopes that this charter will 鈥�serve to safeguard the identity and culture of the precinct.鈥�
鈥淥xford Street is unique to Sydney and has long been recognised as the heart of Sydney鈥檚 LGBTIQA+ culture and communities,鈥� she told the 17c起草社区.
鈥淚n order to maintain this status, the charter has been developed as a united voice against homophobia and transphobia 鈥� a grassroots, community approach to keeping the precinct safe and inclusive.鈥�
听鈥淚t outlines the expectations of the communities, to current and future operators, that Oxford Street should remain lively, diverse and inclusive.鈥�
Charter Is Essential
CEO BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, Shane Sturgiss has hailed the charter as essential with the ongoing rise of attacks against the 17c起草社区+ community, along with the 鈥渞acial profiling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.鈥�
鈥淎fter the glamour and excitement of WorldPride coming to Sydney, the fallout and decline in acceptance is heartbreaking,鈥� Sturgiss said.
鈥淎s a community, we need to ensure that the same WorldPride feeling of excitement and acceptance is felt every day of the year 鈥� we start by building safe spaces and we don’t stop until we have created safe communities.鈥�
听鈥淎 small gesture from businesses in this precinct can have a significant effect on people’s lives, acknowledge their worth, create a feeling of safety and bring [the] community together.鈥�
The charter鈥檚 membership is open to all businesses, arts and community organisations, educational institutions and property owners operating out of and servicing Oxford Street.
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