That change has been slow and hard fought and still has a long way to go despite the appearance the present Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras gives which incidentally was originally a mid-winter parade and only later changed to mid-summer.

Ken Lovett holding banners made for Stonewall 25 in 1994

(Photo from "John Fairfax Group")

anti-racism marches, anti-nuclear and anti-war protests, Aboriginal people's actions, May Day rallies, women's right-to-choose parades, our own communities' equality demonstrations as well as specific international pickets outside various embassies or commercial companies.

We have representatives of LGS attend the Anti-Discrimination Board's lesbian and gay consultations which date back to 1982 (for the latest ADB newsletter see: Equal Time Autumn 2008 edition). While it was still active in Sydney we were at the bi-monthly meetings of Inter~Section - a coalition endeavouring to improve local government agency services for sexual minorities (lesbian, gay and transgender people). Since 2001 we have endeavoured to do the same in Melbourne, more specifically the Council area of Darebin in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

We produce a newsletter(previously quarterly, but now down to twice a year) which has a mailout of just over 120, small but important we feel.

Our members have been involved in groups such as Community Support Network (CSN/ACON), Gay Waves (a weekly gay and lesbian radio program on 2SER-FM)(closed down abruptly by management of 2SER-FM in early 2005 after more than 25 years of serving the gay, lesbian and transgender communities) and the Order of Perpetual Indulgence (Gay Male Nuns and Lesbian Monks - a very political action group and open to lesbians, gays and others). Our members also organise, publicise and work with the South Sydney City Council (now Sydney City Council since council amalgamations in 2003/2004) in a tree planting project called SPAIDS - the Sydney Park AIDS Memorial Groves - where friends, lovers and their families are invited to plant trees, supplied by Council, to commemorate the life of someone who has died from HIV/AIDS. There were three plantings each year until 2004 when it was decided that, because the Groves were reaching their space limit, there would be one planting a year backfilling trees that have died and need replacing. The project commenced in 1994 and the Groves are now well advanced.

Members of LGS have, since its inception, been involved with the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, (ALGA) based in Melbourne. ALGA is now 28 years old, and at its second history conference, held at Melbourne University on 19 and 20 November 1999, they announced the introduction of their web site : Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives
We urge you to use the ALGA website and also to become members of the Archives, as they depend very much on membership fees for their continued operation. LGS members have, over the years, provided many pieces of archival material pertaining to lesbian and gay issues to the Archives, and, although they have restricted premises for public use at this stage, they are always pleased to assist researchers with their enquiries at any time.

LGS is now building up an archive of posters, flyers, banners and other relevant items of gay and lesbian activist historical interest in Australia since the 1970s. The first two of these archive sites are at Part 1 - 1970-1989 and Part 2 - 1990 Onwards: GSG and LGS Posters and related items

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is a San Francisco based organization -
''IGLHRC's mission is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.''

IGLHRC has proposed a central networking pagRC's mission is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.''

IGLHRC has proposed a central networking page, on which links to groups such as ours will be listed. Each of these groups will, in turn link to the IGLHRC page - ''With our alliance, searching the web for information about honest gay and lesbian organizations will be as easy as a point and a click. Essentially, when one of us is found, we will all be found.'' This link will be updated to that page when available, but for now go to the IGLHRC page.