Pride in Protest

Reflection on Anti-Sex Work Deportation and Profiling (Ft. Sonya) | Special Episode

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 19:00:00 +1100

Content flag: Sexual Violence, Police Violence, Intense Racism and Transphobia.

A transgender woman named Sonya contacted Pride in Protest's Damien from Villawood Immigration Detention saying that she would be deported tomorrow.

In this episode, Damien recounts to Melissa his chat with Sonya the day after her deportation. They reflect on the issues Sonya experienced - profiled, detained, and deported by the Australian Border Force during the Mardi Gras season, and discuss racist, transphobic, and whorephobic border policies.

Thank you to Sonya for bravely sharing your story! Sonya's ABC article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/nsw-sydney-villawood-immigration-detention-centre-hotel/104993756

Damien is a member of the Asian Migrant Sex Worker Advisory Group, and Pride in Protest-elected SGLMG Board Director.

Melissa is a member of Pride in Protest.

Petition demanding an end to racist immigration raids, border profiling and turnbacks: https://scarletalliance.good.do/endborderprofiling/dignity/

Learn more about Operation Inglenook: https://scarletalliance.org.au/operation-inglenook/

Fight Back!!! When a Worker is Raped at Work | Provocations 2024

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +1000

Content Flag: Sexual Violence and Police Violence

This session of Provocations 2024 sees Melissa (from the Feminist Liberation Collective), Charlie and Vivian (both from the Sex Workers Action Collective) discussing their experiences of sexual violence in the workplace.

In this episode, the panelists discuss the widespread issue of rape in retail jobs as well as in sex work, with Melissa explaining how she organised her coworkers against perpetrators, and Charlie and Vivian discussing issues specific to their industry, including non-payment and brothel work. The potential for organising against sexual violence through the union movement is a central point of discussion.

Check out:
The Feminist Liberation Collective IG: @Feminist.Liberation
The Sex Workers Action Collective IG: @SWAC.NSW

Asian Migrant Sex Workers Against The Border Force, Racism, and Deportation | Provocations 2024

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +1000

Content Flag: Intense Racism, Police Violence, and Wh0rephobia.

This session of Provocations 2024 sees Asian migrant sex worker activists Bee, Damien, and Na Mon talking about their experiences of the harmful impacts of ongoing anti-immigration racism & anti-sex worker policies across Australia. Chaired by Raven, the panelists discuss the Australian Border Force, Operation Inglenook, Racist Anti-Sex Worker Media, The Rescue Industry, and Anti-Trafficking Legislation.

Sovereignty Now: Where To Next After The 'Voice' | Provocations 2024

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +1000

The first session of Provocations 2024, featuring Lynda-June Coe, Taylah Rose Cooper, Keiran Stewart-Assheton, Senator Lidia Thorpe, and Jarrod Ralley, sees panelists discussing the way forward for the Blak Sovereignty Movement in the aftermath of the Voice Referendum. Chaired by Jesse Smith, activists from across so-called 'Australia' address constitutional recognition, treaty, and the nature of Blak, Palestinian, and Queer solidarity.

This is the first installment in a series of podcast episodes Pride in Protest will be releasing around this year's Provocations conference.

Fighting the Transphobic Far Right: Who They Are And How We Can Win | Provocations 2023

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +1100

The final forum of Provocations 2023 is headed by Evan and Dashie, who discuss the political background of Australia's far right and the recent transphobic attacks they have organized against our queer communities. Strategies for combating this recent resurgence in far right action are outlined.

Queer and Disability Activism | Provocations 2023

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +1100

This Provocations 2023 panel, “Nothing About Us Without Us: Queer and Disability Activism”, has Cal, Margot, Mirri, and Robin discuss current issues surrounding disability organizing and its relation to Queer organizing.

The Struggle for Safe Schools | Provocations 2023

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +1000

This Provocations 2023 panel, “The Struggle for Safe Schools”, saw Damien, Darby, and Dashie talk about the Safe Schools Program's past, and discuss strategies to ensure it a future.

Material Girl: Why Trans Rights Is Class Struggle | Provocations 2023

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +1000

This Provocations 2023 forum was called “Material Girl: Why trans rights is class struggle,” which was a talk and discussion led by Sophie Cotton. Sophie Cotton is a National Tertiary Education Union representative at Sydney Uni and is on the Queer committee. She’s been a staunch activist in the fight for trans rights and gender affirmation leave.

Cotton argues that class struggle is an avenue to winning trans rights, and that gender and trans experiences are a material fact in response to Kathleen Stocks’s transphobic book titled “Material Girls.” She recounts her experience in the NTEU and Sydney Uni bargaining campaign—fighting for gender affirmation leave.

Truth, Treaty and Trickery | Provocations 2023

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +1000

"Truth, Treaty and Trickery" was the title of the first forum of Pride in Protest's Provocations conference, which happened on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of July 2023.

This forum will answer questions about the political roots of the Voice. Why is it being pushed so heavily and by whom? What does the Voice actually mean for the sovereignty movement?

Hear from Keiran Stewart-Assheton, Yuin man and the National President of the Black Peoples Union (or the BPU), and Seth, a member of the Australian Student Environmental Network and Black Flag Sydney, to understand how this constitutional process ultimately undermines Treaty, land rights, and Sovereignty—offering Aboriginal people no social, political, or economic power.

Attendees of the forum were advised to explore the BPU's Voice class held earlier this year, to better understand the problems of the Voice to Parliament.

BPU (Director). (2023, May 10). 'BPU education class: Voice to parliament' [YouTube video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/g7obMSmU9rA

The Religious Freedom Bill and attacks on worker rights

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +1000

Long time organiser with CARR and Pride in Protest Evan Van Zijl joins Pride in Protest and Mardi Gras board member Charlie Murphy and Lachlan Good from the Labor Party to discuss the Religious Freedoms Bill and the attack on workers rights in the queer and trans community.

Sex Work: The Nordic Model, The "Rescue" Industry, and Unionising

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 19:00:00 +1000

In this episode, Charlie, Cleo and Evan talk about all things discussed in the Pride in Protest Sex Work Reading Group. This summary looks at The Nordic Model, the so-called "rescue" industry, and some attempts to unionise sex workers in Australia and what a union could do.

Dee's Story feat. Dee Picton

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 18:00:00 +1000

Content warning: violence

In this episode, Dee Picton talks to Charlie about her experience of police violence as a trans woman. Both Dee and Charlie talk more widely about the place of trans women in society and police oppression of them, and the need to get the police out of community.

Dee will be speaking at the upcoming Pride in Protest forum Cops Out of Pride! Cops out of Community! on Monday August 9, 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/965645617590521

The Fight for Transition Leave feat. Sophie and Tilde

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 11:00:00 +1000

This episode we talk to Sophie*, from the NTEU casuals network, and Tilde, an organiser with RAFFWU about how transphobia is union business, the importance of transition leave, and the broader fight for equality as working class trans people.

Episode 26 Sex Work Reading Group Summary

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 11:00:00 +1000

Charlie and Evan summarise our past two sex work reading group sessions - covering the history of decriminalisation of sex work in New South Wales, breaking down why sex work politics should be abolitionist and making the case for unionization as a necessary future for sex work.

Art and Mental Health ft. Womb For Improvement Pod

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +1000

In this episode, Bridget talks to Malaika and Saria, the hosts of a new podcast called Womb For Improvement. They discuss the impact of capitalism and oppression on mental health, the opportunity of art and healing, and more! Trigger warning, this episode discusses mental illness and suicide.

Radical Mardi Gras 2021

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 18:00:00 +1100

In this episode, we reflect on Saturday's successful takeover of Oxford Street, the Department of Homo affairs protest at the SCG and what lessons we can take from this.

Mardi Gras 2020 AGM Wrap Up

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:00:00 +1100

In this episode we discuss the events of the recent Mardi Gras AGM. We discuss our political analysis, the board election results, our own Mardi Gras event and most importantly... Where to from here?

Refugee Rights and Queerness in the Sri Lankan Tamil Community feat. Madhuraa

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 18:00:00 +1100

In this episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, we chat to Madhuraa, a Queer Sri Lankan Tamil about the context of the Tamil community in Australia, Queer identity as a person of colour and the influence of TikTok on young people interested in social justice.

Motions for the 2020 Mardi Gras AGM

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 23:00:00 +1100

On this weeks episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, Alex, Bridget, and Evan discuss the motions that we will be presenting at the upcoming 2020 Mardi Gras AGM.

You can read our motions here: https://prideinprotest.medium.com/our-motions-for-the-2020-mardi-gras-agm-cb821fbc0957

Police Violence at Mardi Gras 2013 feat. Bryn Hutchinson

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +1100

CW: Police brutality, and detailed descriptions of assault

In this weeks episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, Alex Bouchet sits down with Bryn Hutchinson, who was brutally assaulted by the NSW police at the 2013 Mardi Gras Parade.

In this episode, Bryn speaks about the experience, the court cases that followed, and how to hold power to account.

Cops Out of Mardi Gras feat. Alex Bouchet

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 11:00:00 +1100

In this weeks episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, Charlie Murphy sits down with our lead candidate for the 2020 Mardi Gras AGM, Alex Bouchet.

This conversation covers a huge range of topics including the police, the corporatisation of Mardi Gras, the artists and community open letter, our philosophy of activism, and much more.

To sign the open letter: https://prideinprotest.medium.com/open-letter-from-the-lgbtq-community-regarding-mardi-gras-relationship-with-the-police-and-b375bfe41a22

To sign up as a member for Mardi Gras: https://sydneygayandlesbianmardigras.wildapricot.org/join-us

Building a Better (Federal) Budget feat. Sophie Cotton

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +1100

In this episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, Alex speaks with Sophie Cotton, who is currently doing their PhD in political economy, about the 2020-2021 Australian Federal Budget. With a conversation ranging from the tax cuts and the JobMaker program to the racist immigration laws and education policy, Dani discusses the flaws, and the solutions to this very bad, incredibly terrible budget.

If you would like to get involved with the rallies that are occurring in response to the government’s cuts to tertiary education funding, check out these pages:

Staff and Students Say No Cuts - https://www.facebook.com/StaffAndStudentsNoCuts/

Sydney University Education Action Group - https://www.facebook.com/SydneyUniversityEducationActionGroup/

NTEU NSW - https://www.facebook.com/nteunsw/

Please note - in this episode we refer to John Hewson as the former PM, he is in fact the former leader of the Liberal Party

The Right to Protest- Protect Trans Kids Rally

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 13:00:00 +1100

In this episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, we discuss the recent rally to protect trans kids on the 10th of October. This episode includes description of assault and arrests that took place at this rally, so please listen with care. We also discuss the crackdown on the right to protest, the next rally in Sydney for #BlackLivesMatter is on October 26. Details here: https://fb.me/e/3uq0lrHqM

The Story of Refugees in Indonesia feat. Alfred Pek

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:00:00 +1000

In this episode of Pride in Protest: The Podcast, Bridget talks to Alfred Pek, a Queer Indonesian filmmaker whose documentary feature film Freedom Street explores the story of three refugees: Joniad, Ashfaq and Azizah. Trapped in limbo for years on end due to Australia's Operation Sovereign Border and the Indonesian government, Freedom Street explores how 14,000 refugees became trapped in Indonesia, living in despicable conditions, without any rights, very little money and no hope for resettlement.

Please donate to production costs here: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/freedom-street/

Interview with Esther Montgomery

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:00:00 +1000

In this episode of the podcast, Charlie speaks with independent social justice activist Esther Montgomery across a whole range of issues, from the rot of corruption and lack of accountability in mining corporations, to what Indigenous communities in Western Australia need, and controversies in the Pride Parade in Perth.

Bi+ Community feat. Elly from Sydney Bi+ Network

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:00:00 +1000

In this episode, Amber talks to Elly from Sydney Bi+ Network about bi+ community, the importance of bi+ specific spaces and the Stand Bi Us Conference. The Stand Bi Us Conference runs virtually from 18-27 September. For more information visit: https://www.standbius.com/

The Win at Auckland Pride feat. Ti

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 12:00:00 +1000

This episode Bridget talks to Ti from People Against Prisons Aotearoa. They talk about how a police and prison abolitionist queer group went from humble protests, to being instrumental in having cops and corporates removed from Auckland Pride, to expanding to working on many campaigns to bring about the goal of police and prison abolition in Aotearoa.

Follow PAPA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peopleagainstprisonsaotearoa/

Experiences in and out of Prison as a Gay Aboriginal Man feat. Keith Quayle

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 13:00:00 +1000

In this episode of the podcast, Keith shares with us the experience of being a gay Aboriginal man in prison. From his first contact with the police to being incarcerated four times, Keith gives us insight into all of the toxic, harmful and punitive systems that have affected his life. This episode discusses violence and trauma both inside and outside the prison system. Keith and Charlie also discuss how police and corrections officers marching in Mardi Gras shows how out of touch the parade is, and the need for diversity and less corporate influence to achieve real community involvement and respect for Indigenous people and LGBTQIA+ people affected by incarceration.

What is the Prison System? feat. Danika

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:00:00 +1000

This week, Pride in Protest is tackling the prison system - who is incarcerated, how the system is deeply rooted in racism and the case for abolition. Our guest Danika gives insight into the experience of trans people in binary sex-segregated prisons and how prison is a revolving door for many working class communities.

We encourage you to follow Australia's leading prison abolition organisation Sisters Inside and their conference Imagining Abolition here: https://sistersinside.com.au/

Live from Wyong with the Locked Out Woolies Workers

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:00:00 +1000

Our gumshoe reporters Evan and Charlie spent the day with Woolies employees in Wyong while they have been locked out by Woolworths after demanding better pay and conditions. We speak to the United Workers Union delegates Al and Bob about their fight for better pay and working conditions.

EMAIL THE WOOLIES CEO IN SUPPORT OF THE WORKERS HERE: http://www.unitedworkers.org.au/woolies-wyong-strike/

CONTRIBUTE TO STRIKE FUND HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wyong-strike-fund

A History of Queer Liberation and the Left feat. Ken Davis

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +1000

In this long form interview, our Mardi Gras board member Charlie chats to Ken Davis, a lifelong left-wing activist who helped organise the first Mardi Gras in 1978. They discuss the history of the gay liberation movement in Australia right up to modern day LGBT politics. They cover huge ground across revolutionary politics of the 60s and 70s, internationalism, queer culture, and liberalism’s inevitable slide into right-wing nationalism.

LEARN MORE:

About the organisation CAMP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_Against_Moral_Persecution

About the context of the 1978 Mardi Gras: https://www.78ers.org.au/about

Queer Eye Redux

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:00:00 +1000

Welcome back to another episode of Culture Corner, where we break down a problematic fave in Queer culture. In this episode, Momo and Bridget rip into Queer Eye and give their own vision for the future of #self-care

Black Lives Matter feat. Sam Woripa Watson

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:00:00 +1000

On this episode of Pride in Protest the Podcast, we talk to Sam Woripa Watson, a First Nations activist and non-binary person about the Black Lives Matter movement. They talk about their experiences as an organiser, the strength of solidarity and how to keep up the fight against police brutality.

The Politics of RuPaul's Drag Race

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 15:00:00 +1000

Charlie, Momo and Evan talk about why they love the show RuPaul's Drag Race, but then read to filth the show's politics. We talk trans people on the show, WERKers rights, and why the villain edit should be turned onto RuPaul's love of fracking.

Episode artwork: https://twitter.com/josephlongo_/status/1251998529100406787

Disability Justice feat. Margot

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 17:00:00 +1000

In this episode, Evan discusses all things disability justice with University of Sydney Disability Officer, Margot.

This wide ranging conversation covers a lot of ground, from a Marxist analysis of the social model of disability, to Black Lives Matter and rally organising. Accessibility is a huge topic, and we were fortunate to have a guest as knowledgeable as Margot to explain disability justice to us.

Reflections on the Climate Movement

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 20:00:00 +1000

This episode is an interview from late 2019 where Dashie and Toby explore the state of the climate justice movement, community organising and unique Australian history like the Builders Labourers Federation and the Green Bans. Then, Bridget and Toby give an update on the bushfire, coronavirus shutdown and where to from here.

Live from the Kangaroo Point Blockade

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 20:00:00 +1000

Pride in Protest is a Sydney-based collective of activists who campaign for refugee rights, Indigenous justice and recently won a position on the Sydney Mardi Gras Board.
In this episode, we head to the front line of the Kangaroo Point Blockade with Queer anarchist and activist Sean Womersly.
Donate to the #KPBlockade here: https://chuffed.org/project/support-the-247-kangaroo-point-blockade and follow their updates here: https://www.facebook.com/refugeesolidaritybris/

Sex Work feat. Mish Pony

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:00:00 +1000

In this episode, Charlie speaks to Mish from Scarlet Alliance about the future of sex work in Australia. GIVE TO SW SUPPORT FUND HERE: https://chuffed.org/project/emergency-support-sex-workers-australia and follow Scarlet Alliance: https://www.facebook.com/scarletalliance.org.au/

Episode One: Policing during the COVID-19 shut down

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:00:00 +1000

UPDATE: In this episode, we mistakenly referenced a figure that says 40% of children in NT juvenile justice systems are Aboriginal. This figure is in fact 100%.

In this episode, we discuss police powers, social distancing law and compliance fines during the COVID-19 shut down, as well as the racist impact of policing on Aboriginal communities.

Compliance fines under the microscope
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2020/04/18/compliance-fines-under-the-microscope/15871320009710

Coronavirus fines and Police Powers
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-16/coronavirus-fines-police-powers/12146978

Survey of Covid-19 racism against Asian Australians record 178 incidents in two weeks
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/survey-of-covid-19-racism-against-asian-australians-records-178-incidents-in-two-weeks