[Greens-Media] FW: MEDIA STATEMENT: NSW loses a Civil Rights and LGBTI Rights Hero: Vale Lex Watson (greens NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC)

[Matthew Hilton]

Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
P: (02) 9230 2625 | M: +61423106247|F: facebook.com/mehreenfaruqi | T: @MehreenFaruqi | W: mehreenfaruqi.org.au
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Our parliamentary office is on the land of the Gadigal of the Eora nation

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From: Mehreen Faruqi
Sent: Friday, 9 May 2014 12:54 PM
To: Mehreen Faruqi
Cc: Matthew Hilton
Subject: MEDIA STATEMENT: NSW loses a Civil Rights and LGBTI Rights Hero: Vale Lex Watson (greens NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC)

Media Statement
9.05.14
NSW loses a Civil Rights and LGBTI Rights Hero: Vale Lex Watson
Greens NSW MP and Spokesperson for Sexuality and Gender Identity has paid tribute to a civil and LGBTI rights hero and trailblazer, Lex Watson, who passed away this week.

Lex was one of Australia's leading HIV and LGBT rights activists, a founder of the first gay political organisation, the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP), as well as what is now known as ACON. Lex was instrumental in standing up to anti-gay prejudice, homophobia and discriminatory laws at a time when to do so was dangerous and indeed illegal in many cases.

But it is not just the LGBTI community that owe Lex Watson for his tireless work. Lex demonstrated that an infringement of one groups civil rights is ultimately an infringement of all. He established beyond doubt that the Government has no right to discriminate on any grounds, and if it does, it is everybody's business.

NSW has a long way to go to finish honouring Lex's legacy, including ending homophobia, bullying and discriminatory births, deaths and marriages laws as well as gaining marriage equality, but Lex has taught us that equality is there for the taking, not for the giving.


Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
P: (02) 9230 2625 | M: +61423106247|F: facebook.com/mehreenfaruqi | T: @MehreenFaruqi | W: mehreenfaruqi.org.au
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Our parliamentary office is on the land of the Gadigal of the Eora nation

This email is solely for the named addressee and may be confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please notify the sender by email immediately and then destroy any copy of this message. Except where otherwise specifically stated, views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual sender.
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