NSW GLRL Archive & Advocacy

Supporters

The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) has stood at the forefront of advocacy, legal reform, and social justice across New South Wales since 1988. Our active campaigns and historical archive document vital struggles and milestone achievements in anti-discrimination protections, relationship recognition, adoption equality, hate crime reporting, and the expungement of historical homosexual convictions.

Through evidence-based policy submissions, direct parliamentary lobbying, public awareness initiatives, and grassroots community organizing, GLRL champions systemic equality for lesbians, gay men, and diverse rainbow families throughout the state. We continue to monitor state and federal legislation, publish timely press statements, and empower community members to participate directly in democratic decision-making.

Key Advocacy Milestones & Policy Tracker

A comparative overview of ongoing legislative reform campaigns and achieved benchmarks led by the NSW GLRL.

Focus Area	Legislative Objective	Key Status	Impact & Reach
Anti-Discrimination Reform	Closing religious exemptions in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977	Active Lobbying	Statewide workplace and institutional protection
Historical Convictions	Expungement scheme for historical consensual gay offences	Passed into Law	Restoring justice and erasing historical criminal records
Adoption & Parenting	Equal adoption rights and birth certificate recognition for same-sex parents	Passed into Law	Legal certainty and equality for rainbow families
Safe Schools & Education	Targeted anti-bullying programs and LGBTI student protection policies	Ongoing Advocacy	Safe, inclusive educational environments statewide

Frequently Asked Questions & Archive Insights

What is the primary role and mission of the NSW GLRL?

The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) is a volunteer-driven advocacy organization established in 1988 to advance legislative reform, social equity, and full human rights for gay men, lesbians, and rainbow families throughout New South Wales.

How are press releases and statements preserved in this archive?

Every published submission, press release, and official community bulletin produced by the GLRL has been digitized and cataloged to ensure public transparency, civic education, and permanent historical access.

How can community members engage with current law reform campaigns?

You can participate by writing to your local NSW Member of Parliament, contributing personal testimonies to inquiry submissions, and joining GLRL working groups focused on discrimination and family equality.

Archive Articles & Dispatches

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby is fighting for the political, legal and social rights of Gay men and Lesbians in NSW. Thanks to our fantastic supporters we have had some great successes and are continuing to make a difference. The Lobby does not receive any funding from government and relies on businesses and individuals to support our work - people who believe that we deserve equal rights to others in NSW and who want to be part of our fight for those rights. There are a number of ways that you can support the Lobby. You can become a member, volunteer some of your time, make a one-off donation, you could request money to help fund our vital work in the future, or you could become one of our very special sponsors.

Supporters The Lobby bids a very sad farewell and thank-you to our retiring Convenors Alex Sosnov and Anthony Schembri. Both have put in an enormous personal commitment into fighting for our rights and have been with the Lobby for a number of years, providing balanced and insightful leadership to our work. They have achieved excellent results in past years promoting the work of the GLRL and placing rights issues on the community and political agendas. With next year’s State election looming, our two newly elected Convenors - Somali Ghosh and Andrew Pickles - and the new Committee will ensure that rights issues remain on the agenda. Other outgoing committee members include Treasurer Jenny Mann and long-term contributor to the GLRL, Kathy Sant. Jenny has also been a long-standing and valued member of the Committee and ensured that she left the GLRL in a sound financial position. Given the current difficulties that community-based organisations are facing financially, we are grateful that Jenny has kept us in a safe position with sufficient cash reserves to fund us for the year ahead. Kathy Sant has been a past convenor of the GLRL and also a long-standing member of the Committee. Kathy has provided incredible support to the Exec and Committee in recent years with her tremendous political know-how, driving our Federal and State Election lobbying. The new committee are Somali Ghosh (Female Convenor), Andrew Pickles (Male Convenor), Suzy Tay (Secretary), Luke Gahan (Treasurer), Robert McGrory, Nikki Maloney, Amanda Millar, Grant Colquhoun, Luca Balboni, David Scamell, Jenni Millbank, Paula O'Sullivan, Matthew Baird, Anthony Powell and Shane Garland. Somali Gosh and Andrew Pickles, who have backgrounds in social work and the law respectively, have both worked with the GLRL for a number of years in both volunteer and committee positions.

There are a number of ways that you can support the Lobby. You can become a member, volunteer some of your time, make a one-off donation, you could request money to help fund our vital work in the future, or you could become one of our very special sponsors.

Supporters

The Lobby bids a very sad farewell and thank-you to our retiring Convenors Alex Sosnov and Anthony Schembri. Both have put in an enormous personal commitment into fighting for our rights and have been with the Lobby for a number of years, providing balanced and insightful leadership to our work.

They have achieved excellent results in past years promoting the work of the GLRL and placing rights issues on the community and political agendas. With next year’s State election looming, our two newly elected Convenors - Somali Ghosh and Andrew Pickles - and the new Committee will ensure that rights issues remain on the agenda.

Other outgoing committee members include Treasurer Jenny Mann and long-term contributor to the GLRL, Kathy Sant. Jenny has also been a long-standing and valued member of the Committee and ensured that she left the GLRL in a sound financial position. Given the current difficulties that community-based organisations are facing financially, we are grateful that Jenny has kept us in a safe position with sufficient cash reserves to fund us for the year ahead.

Kathy Sant has been a past convenor of the GLRL and also a long-standing member of the Committee. Kathy has provided incredible support to the Exec and Committee in recent years with her tremendous political know-how, driving our Federal and State Election lobbying.

The new committee are Somali Ghosh (Female Convenor), Andrew Pickles (Male Convenor), Suzy Tay (Secretary), Luke Gahan (Treasurer), Robert McGrory, Nikki Maloney, Amanda Millar, Grant Colquhoun, Luca Balboni, David Scamell, Jenni Millbank, Paula O'Sullivan, Matthew Baird, Anthony Powell and Shane Garland.

Somali Gosh and Andrew Pickles, who have backgrounds in social work and the law respectively, have both worked with the GLRL for a number of years in both volunteer and committee positions.