On This Gay Day | In 1989 the LGBTIQA+ community rallied at parliament [Video]

In October 1989, the Parliament of Western Australia was debating a bill to decriminalise homosexual acts between consenting males.

On October 22, a rally was held on the steps of Parliament House to protest over laws discriminating against gay men in Western Australia and to persuade Parliament that the Bill should be passed.

Over 300 people attended the rally armed with banners and pink and mauve balloons to express their anger at unjust and discriminatory laws.

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The Bill was finally proclaimed in March of 1990. That year a group of LGBTIQA+ organisations came together to form the Perth Pride Collective and for the first time in many years held a Pride march to mark the anniversary of the protest.

It included 200 people, and the month-long October festival had 30 events. The parade was held during the day, but the following year it was moved to evening when it was …