Community Recognition Notice, 25 November 2021, Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament

On behalf of the Sydney electorate I congratulate the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Business Association on their 40th anniversary this year.

The Association has brought business operators, career professionals and industry leaders within the LGBTQI+ community together for support and development. Established as the Gay Business Association in 1981, the name was changed in 1994 to reflect the increasing diversity of members, and in 1998 the group incorporated. The SGLBA was the first LGBTIQ+ business association in Australia, providing a safe place for LGBTIQ+ business people to meet during a time homosexuality was still a criminal offence in NSW. Four decades later the group has over 400 members, ranging from sole traders, entrepreneurs and small to medium business operators through to corporations, and engages with almost 2,000 business people across Sydney. A not-for-profit volunteer run organisation, the SGLBA provides regular networking, business, and social events, peer support and promotion of LGBTIQ+ professionals within the business community. I thank the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Business Association and members for their contribution to Sydney and LGBTIQ+ communities.