2019-10-10
Australian Greens Victoria (AGV) has overwhelmingly endorsed changes to its constitution that will include greater support for transgender and gender diverse party members.
The changes, which were voted on and passed at the State Conference over the weekend, will formally recognise the importance of equal opportunities for gender diverse people and further the AGV’s commitment to equality.
Through a motion to initiate affirmative action for gender diverse members, the AGV formally recognised that gender diverse people should have equal status within society.
The members also backed a change that will see the use of gender-neutral language and pronouns used exclusively throughout the party’s highest governing document.
The reform builds on previous work to make similar changes to AGV by-laws and means that party rules will now be inclusive of members who use pronouns other than he and him, or she and her.
Incoming AGV co-convenor, Effy Elden, said the changes would provide important recognition of the party’s trans and gender diverse membership.
“This resolution forms an important milestone in our continuing commitment to equality and inclusivity for the trans and gender diverse community,” they said.
“As a non-binary person, I am proud that my party continues to fight for my equality and the rights of my community.”
Elden and their fellow co-convenor Ella Webb have reaffirmed the party’s commitment to supporting the trans and gender diverse community by working towards greater inclusivity in their party and across the state.
“Trans and gender diverse people are drastically underrepresented in many parts of society, including politics, and drastically overrepresented when it comes to issues of social and economic injustice,” Elden said.
“Over the past year I have seen a huge increase in the participation of trans and gender diverse people within the Victorian Greens, in all aspects of the party. These long overdue changes do justice to the non-binary and gender diverse members who have contributed so much to our movement.”
The changes to the AGV’s constitution will come into effect once they have been approved by Consumer Affairs.