By Andrew Taylor and Anthony Segaert
It was meant to be a stall providing information for young queer people in western Sydney, with an appearance by comedian and drag performer Carla from Bankstown.
But the Wear It Purple event at Bankstown Central shopping centre in late August was shut down after a group of men began ripping down rainbow flags, spitting and hurling abuse.
The attack on the pop-up stall in Bankstown is the latest in a series of anti-LGBTQ protests including organised disruption of drag story time events and incidents of homophobia and transphobia.
An anti-LGBTQ protest forced the cancellation of an event featuring comedian and drag performer Carla from Bankstown.Credit: Steven Siewert
A City of Canterbury Bankstown spokeswoman said the targeted attack on the stall was a hate crime.
“It was a small group of people who are not representative of our city who wanted to cause trouble,” she said. “Their actions can best be described as a hate crime, and they must be called out.”
She said the decision to shut down the event, which was not council-run, was made by police officers with the shopping centre’s security and organisers for safety reasons.
Carla said she was saddened, but not surprised by the incident.
“We were there to bring smiles to people’s faces and entertain and be free,” she said. “We’re not trying to convert anybody to be like us.”
Sydney Independent MP Alex Greenwich said his office and the police were receiving more reports of anti-LGBTQ confrontations “but this could be a case of more reporting over more incidents”.
“Assaults and serious injuries don’t occur like they used to and the reports are mainly homophobic, transphobic and dragphobic abuse incidents,” he said.
Greenwich said the police had agreed to boost their presence on Oxford Street on Friday and Saturday nights to help the community feel safer.
NSW Police Force corporate sponsor for communities Anthony Cooke acknowledged reports of “an increase in crime, threats of violence or intimidation directed toward members of the community, specifically in the Oxford Street precinct”.
“While actual reports do not necessarily support that view [that threats are increasing], I acknowledge that perception is a concern and that there may be underreporting,” he said.
Reports of anti-LGBTQ attacks in Newtown have also prompted a strong response from local councils.
The Inner West Council this month will vote on a motion calling for pride events to be held at council facilities such as public libraries, swimming pools and community centres throughout the year – after a similar vote was passed last month by the City of Sydney.
Inner West Greens councillor Liz Atkins also wants the safety of LGBTQ events held in council facilities discussed at this year’s local government conference.
Atkins said right-wing and “so-called Christian” groups had rallied in Newtown several times since Sydney World Pride, while anti-trans material had been sent to households in Newtown and Enmore.
“Anecdotally, there has been an increase in transphobic and homophobic behaviour on our streets,” Atkins said.
Sydney Greens deputy mayor Sylvie Ellsmore said local councils should not shut down drag story time and other events threatened with disruption.
“Shutting things down seems to be the main police response, when there is a threat or risk,” she said. “But this is the outcome the organised, angry minority want. Keeping events running proudly and loudly is the solution, and following the lead of impacted communities about how they want to handle things.”
Ellsmore said community activities to combat homophobia included LGBTQ-friendly security at events, training for security guards at pubs to deal with homophobia and transphobia and signs and rainbows in public places to demonstrate areas are pride-friendly.
Concerns about anti-LGBTQ threats and protests come as Greenwich introduced a bill to the NSW Parliament to ban NSW private schools from discriminating against LGBTQ teachers and students and outlaw gay conversion practices.
Yet, a statewide summit to improve safety and combat threats to LGBTQ+ community events has been dumped in favour of online seminars.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore in June proposed holding the summit in response to anti-LGBTQ+ protests and violent threats from far-right groups to community events in NSW and Victoria.
The summit was to be jointly held with the AIDS Council of NSW and aimed to raise awareness of the “escalating threats of violence and intimidation targeting the LGBTIQA+ community events”, said Moore’s proposal passed by the City of Sydney.
But the summit has been dumped after ACON decided it would not help council staff develop skills to host safe events.
“Online seminars, if funded, will be accessible for all relevant staff, and provide more practical application,” an ACON spokesman said.
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