Corporate Sector & Marriage Equality
(Community Recognition Statements, 6 May 2015, Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament)
I commend the public efforts of the corporate sector in supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex [LGBTI] community. Corporates have offered support for the Mardi Gras Parade and Fair Day, World AIDS Day and special events on trans awareness, parenting, and the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia events. Banks and financial organisations have particularly led the way. My husband and I were pleased to join 180 businesspeople from 60 different national and international companies at a breakfast supporting marriage equality with Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce, the Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Australia, Ann Sherry, the SBS Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ebeid, and Diversity Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Lisa Annese. About 40 companies have signed a letter of support for federal marriage equality, advocating for their employees' equal rights. Increasingly these organisations do not want their LGBTI staff to be told to "wait in the car" for marriage equality and are filling the leadership void created by our federal politicians on this important reform.