About one in five LGBTIQ+ voters are currently undecided with more than a third indicating they intend to change who they vote for in the upcoming election, a new report has found.
LGBTIQ+ policies remain the number one priority for queer voters, closely followed by climate issues and cost of living, according to Equality Australia’s Rainbow Votes Report based on a national online survey of 5346 LGBTIQ+ voters.
“Parties and independents can’t take LGBTIQ+ voters for granted and they should be working hard to win back voters and build support among those who are undecided,” said Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown.
“These results send a very important message – you must earn our votes through meaningful policy commitments.”
About 5.5 per cent of Australian voters are LGBTIQ+, which equates to almost one million voters, the report found.
Based on the survey results, about 36.7 per cent of LGBTIQ+ respondents will change their vote from the previous election while just over 20 per cent were undecided – an increase in voter indecision since the last election when a survey conducted by Equality Australia found only 13.6 per cent of people were unsure.
“We’re seeing higher levels of electoral indecision within our community and many respondents expressed uncertainty about which party or candidate will best represent their interests,” Brown said.
While cost of living has been the predominant issue in the campaign, it’s not at the top of LGBTIQA+ concerns.
The report found that LGBTIQA+ issues and concern about the climate and environment were of greater concerns to those surveyed.
This marks a shift from 2022 when the environment was the top concern followed by LGBTIQ+ issues and then healthcare. About 95 per cent of people surveyed said that LGBTIQ+ issues are important to them in deciding their vote.
“Even amid the economic pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, LGBTIQ+ voters remain deeply focused on how policy issues for our community will shape our lives and our futures,” Brown said.
“This change may reflect concerns about global anti-rights movements as well as frustration over the lack of progress on key issues affecting LGBTIQ+ people.”
When researchers drilled down into the LGBTIQA+ issues they found people wanted action on ending conversion therapy practices, protections against discrimination, ending non-consensual and unnecessary procedures on intersex people, support for rainbow families and improved mental health services that are specific to the LGBTIQA+ communities.
Anna Brown’s message to both major and minor parties is that LGBTIQA+ people are a significant bloc of voters at the election.
“We represent a powerful voting bloc of over one million voters across Australia and together with our allies we have the collective strength to influence policy directions and electoral outcomes,” Brown said.
“Our voices matter, our votes count, and our community’s concerns deserve to be addressed with substantive policy solutions.” Brown said.
