#Survival Day

[elinekeit-artstuff]

Here are some resources for the 26th of January. In such difficult times, solidarity is more important than ever. Take care of yourself and take care of each other.

Support services for those in Australia:

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

QLife 1800 184 527 (for Queer Australians)

Support services specific for First Nations people:

13YARN 13 92 76

Yarning Safe ’N’ Strong 1800 959 563

Brother to Brother 1800 435 799 (for Indigenous men)

[queerasfact]

Invasion Day

On January 26 1788, the First Fleet of convicts from Britain arrived on the lands of the Eora Nation and the establishment of a British colony in Australia began.

Although the day is now official observed as Australia Day, it is, to quote Victorian community organisers, “an annual reminder of invasion, occupation, genocide and the ongoing impacts of colonisation that continue to destroy our land and waters”.

Keep reading under the cut - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that below is an image and names of deceased persons.

First Nations people have publicly marked 26 January as a Day of Mourning since 1938. The photo above comes from 1988, when, on 26 January, Australia officially celebrated its bicentenary. In response to public celebrations of the day, gay Aboriginal and South Sea Islander man Malcolm Cole and artist Panos Couros came up their own way to mark the occasion – a float in Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade a month later.

The float, known as the “Aboriginal Boat”, took the form of a sailing ship manned by Malcolm, dressed as Captain Cook, the British man who “claimed” the lands of First Nations people along Australia’s east coast for Britain. Narungga and Kaurna man Rodney Junga-Williams played botanist Joseph Banks, who was also instrumental in the decision to colonise the continent. The float was pulled by their white friends.

As Australians ourselves, living on the stolen lands of the Kulin Nation, we encourage you to spend the day doing what you can to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation is one organisation working to support queer First Nations people, that you in turn can support.

[Image source: Photograph taken by Ken Lovett, Australian Queer Archives, via ABC]

[exhaustedcaterpillar]

it's invasion day, not australia day

genocide is not something to be celebrated. this invasion day, attend a rally, donate to aboriginal organisations, advocate for changing the date. stand in solidarity with your aboriginal friends.

always was, always will be, aboriginal land

[jordzyellis]

Invasion Day on Kaurna Land 2025 🖤💛❤️

[darlingjmiller]

always was, always will be ❤️💛🖤

[triumph-of-adaptation]

[positivelyqueer]

no pride in genocide. Find Survival/Invasion Day events near you.

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

https://blaq.org.au/donate/

[tabithahallows]

It's crazy to me to hear white Australians telling Indigenous ppl to just 'get over' every that's happened in the past. They treat it like this thing that we just have to inevitably 'get over' to progress in any way. Like, I dunno about the rest of you but I wouldn't tell my friends to just 'get over' their grandparents dying of cancer, no matter how long it's been since they died, you know? Because, guess fucking what, sometimes you don't ever just 'get over' shitty things like that, you learn to live with it, but you don't just move on like it never happened. Especially when you have a bunch of ppl in your face telling you to be grateful for the brutal colonisation and attempted genocide of your ancestors because now we have smart phones and modern medicine and a rental/cost of living/mental health crisis. How about I fuck your dad? Get over that dickhead

[lilitunoirrr]

🖤💛❤️✊🏽

[cometconmain]

With Invasion Day (known in the mainstream as Australia Day) coming up, you may be wondering how you can support First Nations people as they are once again told our celebration of taking their lands for England and relegating them to 'flora and fauna' in order to justify this is more important than acknowledging this as a horrific event which should be recognised as such and just changing the date to another day at minimum.

Here are a few links you could check out.

https://closethegap.org.au/join-the-campaign/

First Nations Organisations to donate to if you have anything to spare:

[theclaravoyant]

happy Australia is still literally a colony of the British Crown day. please patronise an in indigenous business, donate to an indigenous charity or write/call your mp on an indigenous issue for me 🙏

[triumph-of-adaptation]

IndigenousX

[beebee619]

26 January 2024 marks 236 years since the British First Fleet invaded First Nations land. It is not a day of rejoicing – it is a day of mourning, commemorating 236 years of dispossession, inequality and destruction which still continues today. This is the first major national moment since the referendum to show your solidarity with First Nations people.

On this day every year we have a national conversation that can go one of two ways – marking the start of colonisation or showing solidarity with the oldest living culture on earth. Now more than ever, your voice is powerful.