CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms COFFEY (Griffith) (16:21): September was Pride Month in Brisbane, and it was wonderful that so many Pride events were held in the Griffith electorate, from the Come to Daddy Pride Launch to Pride Fair in Musgrave Park. I was honoured to attend the Pride rally in Queens Park and to join the Pride March with Rainbow Labor. I thank Brisbane Pride, the volunteers and the many community organisations who made the event such a success.

I send a special congratulations to James McCarthy, the President of Brisbane Pride, for facilitating another cracking Pride. What struck me once again was the incredible spirit of the crowd. Pride is not just about celebration; it's also about resolve and honouring those who came before, marching when it was dangerous and unpopular, especially during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, giving strength to those continuing the fight for equality today.

I also attended Brisbane Pride's intergenerational panel of LGBTQIA2+ community members at Queensland Museum Kurilpa in South Brisbane. It was a powerful conversation about the history of pride in Queensland. The evening included the formal handover of a section of the Gilbert Baker 25th anniversary Pride flag, donated by Brisbane Pride to the Queensland Museum's collection.

The Make a Scene: Fashioning Queer Identity and Club Culture in the 1990s exhibition at the museum was another highlight—an aspiring showcase of creativity and resilience, capturing the power of self-expression and community that helped people through difficult times. I was also pleased to attend the Queer Here exhibition at Griffith University on Southbank, an event celebrating the diversity, creativity and leadership of queer students and staff.

It was a great honour to see the powerful work of one of our local secondary school students, Gabe McLoughlin, from Cannon Hill Anglican College. It was a vivid reminder that universities are not only places of learning but also of belonging, where visibility, acceptance and pride walk hand-in-hand. Last month I was also honoured to host in my electorate an LGBTQIA2+ health and wellbeing roundtable with the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon.

Mark Butler MP, alongside representatives from leading community health organisations. It was an important opportunity to hear directly from those working on the ground about the barriers LGBTQIA2+ Australians face in accessing inclusive health care, and to hear how the work of government is already having a positive impact in the community. As part of this ongoing engagement, I've also met separately with many dedicated organisations doing vital work every day, and I acknowledge the work of the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health, Queensland Positive People, and the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance.

Each of these organisations plays a critical role in supporting the health, wellbeing and inclusion of people in Griffith and across Queensland, because equality isn't just an aspiration; it's something we must actively build. That means standing firmly with trans and gender-diverse Queenslanders against harassment and misinformation. It means workplaces free of discrimination, and communities where hate has no home.

It means ensuring access to inclusive health care, better mental health services, and schools where every child is respected and supported. In this parliament, I'm proud to echo the voices of all those who continue to fight for equality in our community.