LGBTQIA staff, students and allies at the University of Wollongong have vowed to remain loud and proud in the face of bigots who target their community.
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Last week 'Genesis 9:13' was spray-painted on the university's rainbow steps, elsewhere on campus and across the North Wollongong rainbow crossing on Cliff Road, in reference to a Bible verse that has been co-opted to attack the queer community.
In response the Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association held a rally at the rainbow steps on Thursday to show their support for LGBTQIA people, which drew scores of students and staff.
Some carried rainbow flags or wore colourful clothing, staff members wore rainbow lanyards emblazoned with the word 'ally', while security staff wore purple shirts in solidarity.
WUSA general secretary and small and regional officer of the National Union of Students, Cheyne Howard, told the crowd that when she learnt of the vandalism she was scared, furious and shattered.
But Ms Howard urged the crowd to stand proud.
"Hate is not welcome at UOW, bigots are not welcome," she said.
Isabella Phillips-Bohane, also known as the drag king Lawrence of Australia, admitted the vandalism incident had frightened her.
"But what they want is for us to be removed from the public sphere altogether, and that's not what's going to happen," Ms Phillips-Bohane said.
He is well-known as Lauren Order, but Ernst Nel chose to step away from his drag persona for the rally.
"I have decided to come out of drag today purely based on the fact that behind all of the persona and behind the glitz and glam and the jokes, there is a very real human being... I wanted to stand here, as one human being to another, and say what's going on has completely devastated me and broken my heart," Mr Nel said.
But through shows of solidarity and visibility, he said, the queer community found power and would continue to not only survive, but thrive.
Longtime member of the queer collective Allsorts, Alec Hall said that as a Quaker, he was upset how a Bible verse about love and protection of the environment was being used "to instead call for the extinction of queer people".
"We stand against this shit and we're going to protest today to show people that we don't stand for this and if they do this, if this continues happening, we will continue fighting," they said.
Deputy lord mayor and UOW staff member Tania Brown also spoke, telling those gathered that visibility was important and the queer community had support.
"It was a crime what happened here and what happened down at the rainbow crossing at North Beach," Cr Brown said.
NUS president Bailey Riley said she had not seen anything on a regional campus as big as this rally in a long time.
"It just goes to show that there's a much louder voice here standing up against the hate than standing for it," she told the crowd.
The rally concluded with a short march, during which students chanted: "When queer rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back".
- UOW students in need of support can contact the 24-hour Student Wellbeing and Support Line on 1300 046 139, while staff can call the Employee Assistance Line on 1300 361 008. There is also support available from QLife, the national LGBTQIA counselling and information line on 1800 184 527. Lifeline provides crisis counselling on 13 11 14.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
