Rainbow Hub SA (RHSA) was delighted to have been nominated Community Group of the Year for the second year running for the 2026 South Australian Pride Awards. Thank you to the person who nominated us and to all who voted. We were in great company with 13 other organisations and congratulations to winners of this and other categories – see the Pride Adelaide website.
Winners were announced at the South Australian Pride Gala last Saturday 6 June.
The spotlight was also on Hall of Fame Inductees: RHSA Board member Pam Price and Eric Kuhlmann. The Hall of Fame recognises those who have made a lasting and meaningful impact through their work, advocacy, and contribution to the advancement, celebration, and visibility of LGBTQIA+ people across the state.
Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, inducted Pam and spoke glowingly of her support of “particularly lesbians, people living with HIV and older LGBTQIA+ people…[as]…truly both life-changing and lifesaving…You understood…that lasting change is built through care, respect and community and that, perhaps, is the most powerful part of your legacy…Across more than four decades you’ve shaped services and influenced policy through your peer networks and strengthened the very fabric of South Australia…Your legacy is one of courage, care and sustained leadership. It’s a lifetime of contribution and it’s a legacy that continues.”
Pam then shared these words followed by a toast.
“It is rare in life for us and our work to be seen so I am enormously grateful and humbled to Pride Adelaide for this honour. Thank you to the dear friends and family who have come along tonight to cheer me on and love me. My partner of 25 years, Denise, suggested I just say “thank you and good night.” But I would like to share a few more thoughts with you…
But here’s the thing…my usual spot is here (back of room), but in my 70th year I decided to stand here – tall and proud and I am standing here tall and proud because of all those feminist and all the lesbians who came before me. The women I have learned from and been inspired by.
I stand here in solidarity with – all stroppy lesbians who walked beside me over a lifetime. They had the courage to step out of line: at home; at work; in the family. They were determined to be seen and heard. They showed up even when/ especially when / it’s hard and when it was dangerous. As you know – It was an especially dangerous time for women and for men to be out and open in the 70s and 80s.
I stand here at the front tonight because those 100s of lesbians had the pluckiness and strength, courage to go along to coming out groups, support groups, lesbian mothers groups, lesbian feminist conversation groups, the first lesbian feminist national conference. There were a lot of groups – what can I say – women like to gather together.
I want to thank those many women for trusting me as I figured it out, asked many questions and we worked out ways to strengthen our community, to be visible to be seen and heard – the personal is political and we lived it, acted on it, we advocated for change and refused to not be seen. I feel so lucky to have been active in my community at this time – a time when we could be work together and be spontaneous and follow the spark of an idea and see where community took us.
This award honours and celebrates me and us. Naming, challenging and opening doors was what we did and it is what I have always looked to do. Our community finds our strength and power from the inspiration of those around us – we open up to it and give to each other. We find a place to belong where we can stand tall, and be visible. We experience pride, authenticity, identity strength and courage in context with each other. It is this that amplifies a community.
Lastly, I also want to acknowledge the organisations I have worked in both paid and unpaid capacities.
Women’s health centres – This may sound like a prehistoric idea to you, but under the Dunstan Government in the 70s we had funded women’s health and community centres. Despite over many years of being increasingly government directed, we always found ways to be radical and subversive and work in solidarity with each other. The feminist women who worked in women’s health brought with them mountains of determination for change, respect for difference and diversity and an open hearted recognition of lesbian health issues .
And then the HIV positive women’s project lived within women’s health centres – it was a life’s honour to walk alongside these bold heroic women. Kath Leane and I worked every day to challenge the invisibility of women in the HIV epidemic – that their voice was heard in all policy and research, program and resources development, education and activities – on national and state levels. Hearing a positive women’s story changes hearts and minds. We had many gay men (many who are here in this room) who were our allies and stood strongly beside us. All our work was peer driven. Peers have to be the heart and part of every decision and action.
And now my work and passion is where me and my peers are in body and spirit is – we are amazed to be ageing. I can assure you that we are ageing loudly and with pride and strength. I want to acknowledge the peers and strong advocates I now work alongside at ECH and Rainbow Hub SA. We do our work because the still stroppy much older lesbians and gay men and transgender people expect to be who we are! We will not go back into the closet!
This award honours and celebrates all of us.
So to end – here’s a toast to us – I would like to raise a glass to absent friends. To the guts and courage of our sisters and brothers who are no longer with us. And who I know would be overjoyed by this recognition of work done and community strength. I toast the older members of our community – who continue to be determined to be seen and heard – let’s continue to walk together and keep showing up.
Finally, I toast the younger members of our community – keeping your foot in the door and keeping it open is the real work at this time of increasing fear and hatred. Here’s to you and us working together. Thank you and good night!”
Photos by Jackie Wurm; final photo by David Panter
