LGBTIQA+ Police Relations Research and Recommendations

Overview

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) engaged Just Gold to lead a collaborative research and engagement process with the NSW Police Force. The objective was to inform a future Accord that centres community safety, truth telling and accountability, while dealing honestly with a complex history.

Challenge

The relationship between LGBTIQA+ communities and police has a fraught history, shaped by violence, protest and institutional harm. SGLMG wanted a rigorous, community led process carried out with integrity and care.

Approach

Delivered using The Praxis Framework, Just Gold led a trauma informed engagement that used several methods:

• Listening sessions, stakeholder interviews and targeted surveys
• Historical and narrative research to frame the legacy and the case for future change
• Safe space facilitation across both organisations
• Collaborative development of recommendations

Deliverables

• Two standalone reports, one for SGLMG and one for NSW Police
• Joint recommendations for a future Accord
• A narrative framework linking global Pride tensions with local reform

Outcome

The two reports laid a foundation for dialogue between police and LGBTIQA+ communities. They continue to influence public discussion, in Australia and internationally, on where protest, visibility and institutional accountability meet. The process is nationally recognised in Pride and policing reform and gives both organisations a framework for future accountability.