We should all feel safe and have equal opportunities in life, no matter our sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics.
While Victoria has come a long way, gaps and loopholes in our laws allow discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) people to continue. This discrimination causes harm and its impacts can be deep and damaging.
We need to improve our laws so that no one faces discrimination or harm because of their sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics.
Many people also experience a lack of autonomy over their bodies, and difficulty accessing holistic and comprehensive services.
To make sure that people can access quality services that truly meet their needs, we need to properly fund LGBTIQA+ led organisations. LGBTIQA+ led organisations know what their communities need and are best placed to offer safe and effective services. But these organisations are constantly underfunded. This means that many services are at capacity and are being forced to turn people away.
The Greens have a plan to strengthen our laws to end discrimination and to better fund and support LGBTIQA+ community led organisations – our Rainbow State Action Plan.
Our Rainbow State Action Plan includes:
An ‘Equality Bill’ for Victoria
While Victoria has come a long way, there’s still a need for a range of reforms to protect LGBTIQA+ communities from discrimination.
The Greens want to see comprehensive legislation which will:
- Strengthen the Equal Opportunity Act to prevent all faith-based schools and organisations from discriminating against LGBTIQA+ students, staff and services users
- Give the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission stronger powers, including stronger investigatory powers and enforceable determinations
- Expand anti-vilification laws to protect LGBTIQA+ people and support victims of hate crimes, including by making vilification and public harassment a crime and legislating to make violence motivated by hate a specific criminal offence
- Ban deferrable medical interventions on children with intersex characteristics and restrict all sex characteristic altering medical treatment on intersex people without personal consent or oversight from an independent expert panel
- Protect the important work of the LGBTIQ+ Communities Commissioner and the LGBTIQ+ Taskforce by enshrining them in legislation
We will continue to work with the LGBTIQA+ community to identify further areas of reform, including adoption, assisted reproductive treatment and surrogacy, to make sure that our laws protect everyone.
A $200 Million ‘Rainbow State Fund’ for LGBTIQA+ community-led organisations
This fund will support initiatives such as:
- Funding for community controlled LGBTIQA+ services in key areas of need such as mental health, multicultural and youth services, homelessness and sexual health
- Establishing an accommodation facility, with associated support and health services, for trans, gender diverse and non-binary people
- Establishing an LGBTIQA+ Community Hub with family services, youth facilities, events, and co-located health services
- Investing in additional clinical services for trans, gender diverse and non-binary Victorians
- Ongoing funding for pride events and festivals around the state
- Social, psychological and peer support for intersex people and their families
- Support services for survivors of conversion practices
Everyone should feel safe from discrimination and be able to access support and services that meet their needs. With more Greens in Parliament we'll continue to push for comprehensive changes to make this a reality.