LGBTIQ advocacy group, just.equal, has urged LGBTIQ West Australians to respond to a short, new survey about their law reform priorities for the next term of Government.
WA Spokesperson for just.equal, Brian Greig, said the survey aims to increase pressure on Premier Mark McGowan to commit to LGBTIQ law reform before the 13 March election.
“We urge LGBTIQ West Australians to do this survey ASAP, and we will take the results to the media and to the Government seeking immediate commitments to reform.”
“This is crunch time…WA has fallen behind the other states in these areas and the McGowan Government, which looks likely to be re-elected, has made no commitments to remedy this.”
“We only have a few weeks left to tell the Government what our priorities are and get its commitment on these.”
“As a community we are now in a ‘danger zone’ because if the government does not make any commitment to LGBTIQ law reform before the election, it can more easily ignore us after the election.”
The survey asks LGBTIQ voters to prioritise six law reform issues facing the state: anti-vilification laws, banning conversion practices, removing special religious exemptions, allowing surrogacy, birth certificate reform for transgender people, and banning unnecessary surgery on intersex children.
Greig went on to say that the next Labor government may try and buy the LGBTIQ community off with some modest service funding and the creation of an ‘LGBTI government reference group’ to liaise with.
“Frankly, the government should be doing these things anyway. But the major underlying cause of poor health outcomes in our community is discrimination and inequality. To be rid of discrimination and inequality we need law reform.”
“You cannot help transgender people affirm their gender on documentation without law reform. You cannot ban conversion practices without law reform or stop faith schools sacking LGBTIQ teachers without law reform.”
Brian Greig urged all LGBTIQ voters in WA to do the five minute survey and encourage others by sharing the link to the just_equal website.
“We will announce the results to everyone, including MPs, two weeks before polling day.”
OUTinPerth has asked the McGowan Government if it has any intentions to address conversion therapy if re-elected for a second term. Despite numerous requests over several weeks there has been no response from Attorney General John Quigley.
OIP Staff
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