Albany Pride would like to take the opportunity to commend the City of Albany and the Youth Advisory Council for their new Inclusivity Logo and the Youth Advisory Council’s drive to build a more inclusive city.

The logo, comprising of four puzzle pieces, representing the LGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous Australians, culturally diverse Australians, and people living with disabilities respectively, was devised by the Youth Advisory Council, and was announced on the 1st December, 2022, after the City of Albany approved it.

Albany Pride would like to take the opportunity to thank the Youth Advisory Council for all their work for the young people in the region, and to give our support for the Inclusivity Logo.

Albany/Kinjarling is a wonderful place to live, and Albany Pride are delighted to see it develop as a place that is every bit as diverse and vibrant as the natural beauty it is surrounded by. We wish to reiterate the importance of ensuring that those who choose to call Albany/Kinjarling home feel safe, welcome, and supported. There is simply no denying that in the past, Albany/Kinjarling has not had a reputation for being a welcoming and supportive environment.

We reiterate Mayor Dennis Wellington’s comments that “if our young people, or any of our community don’t feel welcome, safe or included then we have a problem”, and that “any initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing and lives of any number of our residents is a fantastic exercise in my book”. We look forward to any developments the City of Albany – being true to their word – are going to make in the near-future to ensure that such problems are addressed, and to any consultation the City of Albany are going to initiate with us to ensure that the region’s LGBTQIA+ are made to feel safe and welcome.

In the city’s ‘Strategic Community Plan 2032’, under the section ‘Our Plan for the Future’, it did not go unnoticed by Albany Pride that amongst the objectives for “a diverse and inclusive community”, many groups were mentioned (such as the aged, those living with disabilities, Indigenous Australians, and young families), but LGBTQIA+ people weren’t. Whilst it is nice to be included on the City of Albany’s inclusivity logo, it is essential that we be included in the policy as well.

Albany Pride looks forward to seeing the Inclusivity Logo around Albany/Kinjarling and will continue to urge consultation between the City of Albany and the represented communities to ensure that the logo is not merely a tokenistic gesture, but a genuine commitment to a safe and welcoming environment for residents in, and visitors to, our great and beautiful region.