ECU Alumna Narelda Jacobs OAM thrilled to be appointed as Rainbow Futures WA Patron.
Jacobs, who graduated from ECU with an Associate Degree of Performing Arts in 1999 and won the 2021 ECU Community Alumni Award, is a queer Whadjuk Noongar journalist, presenter, commentator, speaker, MC and well-known supporter of the LGBTIQA+ community.
"We've made so much progress when it comes to equality for LGBTIQA+ people but there's still so much to advocate for," she said on her appointment.
"The rainbow community has always been stronger together and Rainbow Futures WA will use that collective strength to keep pushing for progress."
RFWA is a consortium of WA-based LGBTIQA+ community organisations and individuals concerned with the long-term well-being of LGBTIQA+ communities in Western Australia.
As the peak body, RFWA will work with the State Government and the WA LGBTIQA+ Reference Group to support the development and implementation of WA's first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy, including co-chairing the Reference Group with the Department of Communities.
RFWA has played a leading role in advocating for LGBTIQA+ rights and reform in WA since forming in 2019, but many of those involved with the consortium have been doing this work for decades.
RFWA Steering Group member and ECU Equity Projects Coordinator Stevie Lane.
RFWA Steering Group member and ECU Equity Projects Coordinator Stevie Lane is excited about the appointment which they say will help to raise awareness of LGBTIQA+ rights in WA and drive important reform.
"Narelda Jacobs is such a well-respected and powerful voice for LGBTIQA+ communities in WA and Australia," they said.
"We need the broader community to understand how far behind LGBTIQA+ rights are in WA, and for members of parliament to prioritise reform. Narelda is such a welcome and celebrated addition to RFWA and the whole team is excited to work with her to raise awareness of and drive this important work."
In WA, religious schools still hold a licence to discriminate against LGBTQA+ staff and students, and harmful conversion practices, seeking to change sexual orientation and gender identity remain legal.
The process for trans and gender diverse people to legally update their gender has recently improved through legislative changes that will soon come into effect, but still do not meet best practice national standards. Additionally, intersex babies and children continue to be subjected to deferrable medical interventions without their personal informed consent, and surrogacy laws make altruistic surrogacy unavailable to people who are not women or heterosexual couples.
Nationally, there are no laws that protect LGBTIQA+ people from hate, and WA is one of the few states that has no laws protecting LGBTIQA+ people from hate speech and vilification.
If you would like to stay up to date on LGBTIQA+ community advocacy in WA, sign up to RFWA's mailing list
If you would like to stay up to date on the LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy visit the WA Government webpage
