BATHURST prides itself on being an inclusive city that welcomes people of all faiths, races and sexualities.
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It would be naive to think there was no discrimination but, on the whole, we would like to believe come a long as a community in our acceptance of differences.
And that's why it was a little sobering to read the findings of a recent YouGov Research survey that found that more than 50 per cent of LGBTIQ+ people said that would not open up about their sexuality in a rural town or community.
The research was commissioned by ANZ to support its national LGBTIQ+ community grants program, being offered for the second time this year.
It asked LGBTIQ+ how they felt in a range of situations and locations, and revealed there was still an alarming level of trepidation - particularly in unfamiliar surroundings. Among the other findings:
- More than half of LGBTIQ+ people do not feel comfortable being their true selves when out at a sports game (54 per cent) or when participating in a sports club (53 per cent).
- Most LGBTIQ+ people (52 per cent) would not open up about their sexuality with their manager at work.
- More than two-in-five (41 per cent) of LGBTIQ+ people would not open up about their sexuality at their school or university.
Perhaps the one small consolation in all this is that the survey questioned how LGBTIQ+ people felt in their surroundings, not how the broader community felt towards LGBTIQ+ people.
It's a small distinction, but an important one, as the real hope would be that a rural town or community might be more welcoming than a visiting LGBTIQ+ person might realise it was going to be.
And given the history of discrimination against people regarded as different, that trepidation is probably understandable.
But there remains the clear message that more must be done.
It is not enough for a community to be open to people of all faiths, races and sexualities, that community must now be able to actively demonstrate its inclusiveness.
And that is a responsibility that all of us must share. We must practise inclusion with our thoughts, our attitudes, our words and our deeds.
We're getting closer, but we're not there yet. And we won't be there until all people are not only welcome, but also comfortable and confident in all surroundings.