BackTuesday, 15 November 2016
Party by any other name is dignified
Tuesday 15 November 2016
By Daniel Wills, Adelaide Advertiser
Political party Dignity 4 Disability is changing its name to now “better represent” equality in all forms – race, gender, age and sexual orientation.
MLC Kelly Vincent said the party would simply be known as the Dignity Party, dropping disability from the name to stand up for all marginalised voices.
“It’s not about abandoning the disability issue, just encapsulating everything else because it is about dignity for everyone,” Ms Vincent said.
“It’s always been our mission to achieve equality and access, whether it’s because of ageing or gender or race or sexual orientation or whatever it might be, and I think we’ve always had a proud record on those issues.
“We just wanted to make that clear because, in the early years perhaps not now, if I spoke on an issue, say same sex marriage, in the Parliament people would say things like ‘why are you speaking on this, you’re the D4D party’.
“I am also a Member of Parliament with the privilege and responsibility to have a vote on other issues.”
Ms Vincent said the party would continue to be “disability led”, including its personnel and policy focus.
She said the new name better acknowledged the other issues the party also believed to be important.
“I think, from my personal perspective, having a disability has given me increased empathy and passion for achieving equality for everyone because I understand what it’s like to be treated differently,” she said.
The party plans to officially launch the new name either next month or early next year.
Ms Vincent said in addition to focusing on her re-election at the State Election in March 2018, the party planned to run a strong field of candidates in both upper and lower chambers of Parliament.
