40 Years On: LGBTIQASB+ Love, Law & Pride in the NT - Human Rights

Panel Stars: Sam Bowden, Caitlin Perry, Dino Hodge, Jeswynn Yogaratnam

The decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1983–84 marked a historic moment, with the NT becoming the only Australian jurisdiction where the government enacted such reform without prior public lobbying by the community. It was a remarkable, if unusual, beginning.

However, every step forward since then - every legal protection, every recognition of rights - has been hard-won by strong, community-led campaigns. Some reform proposals were embraced by governments of the day; others were fiercely resisted, requiring unwavering advocacy and collective determination.

Today, forty years on, LGBTQIASB+ citizens in the Northern Territory once again face a serious challenge:
The current government, elected on a platform that included rolling back key human rights protections for LGBTQIASB+ people, threatens to legalise discrimination once more.

This moment calls on us to look back and ask:
What lessons can we draw from the past forty years? How can the spirit, strength, and solidarity that built our community continue to protect it today?

As part of the festival’s reflections, we are proud to present a powerful panel discussion, formed by a line-up of advocates and changemakers, will explore the pivotal campaigns that shaped the Northern Territory’s legal landscape for LGBTQIASB+ rights - and what must come next.

This in-depth discussion will not only honour the tireless efforts that have shaped our past but will arm our community with the insights and inspiration needed to defend our hard-won rights into the future.

Pride is not just a celebration — it is resilience, resistance, and a commitment to equality for the generations to come.

Morning Tea included from 10am.

CDU City Campus Community Learning Room