WorldPride: What the participants said

Dr Nisha Khot

Hey guys. 🌈🟡🟢🔵🟣🔴 Nisha here!!!

It’s been hard to articulate in writing the feeling today after yesterday’s event fabulous event! I agree with all everyone has said—it is such a high feeling! 

What was great was so much positivity everywhere—with us, other groups and as George said the crowds! They all loved that we were out there! What a special moment for our profession as a whole. Something by doctors and representing doctors is unique. 

And so many of the crowd pointed out the rainbow IVs—such a great idea! 

To those of you who started Pride in Medicine, huge congratulations. It is something that should have been done so long ago, so congrats on getting it finally done! ❤ and to the President, Matt Marino you represent the organisation very well and speak well. Thanks for including all our colleges. 

To Mark Frydenberg from RACS, huge respect and congrats on holding the sign in the front of the float. I’ve had so many messages from our surgical reps saying that it was even more special having a ‘white’ man out the front in pink scrubs with such a beaming smile on his face! (In essence the stereotypical surgeon, right?) 

Professor Mark Frydenberg

Nisha, thank you for your kind words. All of our organisations including RACS that I represented, promote diversity, equity and tolerance. However, words are just words, you need to live and breathe them, you need to walk the walk. 

You’re right that I’d be described as the typical surgeon—white, male, and straight but diversity really matters; it needs to be celebrated and embraced. We can’t look after our communities if we don’t mirror those communities. So, to hear that I may have helped get that message of equity and tolerance across as part of our incredible team gives me huge pride. It was truly an enormous honour to walk out in front, seeing and hearing the crowds’ reaction and how much they do value us as a profession. 

‘Thank you for everything you do for us, constantly rang out from the crowd. It was humbling, but at the same time inspirational. It made me proud yet again of what we all do every day. How could I not smile hearing and feeling the love from the crowd, being part of such a wonderful group of colleagues, and doing something that I personally feel is not only important but essential.

There is more to do and I’m ready to get to work to develop guides for prostate cancer, benign prostate disease, and other assorted urological topics specifically catering to the LGBTQI+ community. 

Thanks again for a truly unforgettable experience and allowing Barb and I to be part of the team. I extend those thanks also to RACS for the honour of representing them on the night with Sarah and the entire surgical contingent.