Australia is getting its first LGBTQ 'Pride Centre'
Melbourne wants to be the pride capital of Australia.
The city will soon become home to Australia's first Pride Centre, which will be a hub for LGBTQ art and history, as well as hosting advisory, health and support services.
The centre is part of the Victorian state government's equality agenda, with A$15 million set aside for the project in its upcoming 2016 budget.
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As for the final design, location and how long it will take to build the centre, this is yet to be revealed as consultations will take place between the government and the LGBTQ community.
However, the Victorian government has said that the centre is set to be bigger than San Francisco's LGBT Community Centre, which opened back in 2002.
It's another positive step towards supporting the LGBTQ community by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who promised in March to find the much debated and criticised Safe Schools program if federal funding was cut. Andrews has also spoken out about the need for same-sex marriage to be legalised in Australia in January.
"Equality is not negotiable in Victoria," Andrews said in a statement. "Victoria's LGBTI community has a lot to be proud of and I congratulate everyone who has worked hard to make Australia’s first Pride Centre a reality."
Governments around Australia use the LGBTI acronym in official communication, which refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex communities.
The Pride Centre is hoped to be a tourist attraction, while also providing a safe social space for LGBTQ organisations and services.
"The Pride Centre is long overdue and will attract people from across Victoria, Australia, and the world," Martin Foley, Victoria's minister for equality, said in a statement.
"It will be a great gathering place for the LGBTI community and allow for much greater collaboration between services and community organisations."
The announcement comes just before a formal apology by the Victorian state parliament on May 24 to the LGBTQ community to people convicted for homosexual acts. The apology follows the state of New South Wales' lead in February.
Nice one, Melbourne.
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