16 | 8 | 2023
A Statement from the Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) wishes to make the following statement in relation to the forthcoming referendum on constitutional recognition of Australian First Peoples by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
MQFF was created and operates on the lands and waters of the Bunurong, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung, and Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) peoples of the Kulin Nation.
To this important change for Australia, MQFF says ‘Yes’. We say ‘Yes’ to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian constitution through a Voice.
MQFF believes in the importance of listening to and giving a voice to people within our communities. For over 30 years we have harnessed the power of shared stories to give a platform to all parts of the LGBTQI+ communities, including rainbow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Voting Yes ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a voice in decisions that affect their communities.
We also recognise that this referendum is the result of decades of conversations and development by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who jointly have called for recognition in the Australian Constitution through the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a statement that MQFF fully supports.
We encourage all members of MQFF’s community to inform themselves ahead of the upcoming referendum and understand the opportunity that the Voice provides to make a difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For more information about the Voice, we encourage you to visit:
