Just-Equal Australia says it will mark IDAHOBIT ’26 by asking state government MPs to sign pledges on law reform.
WA spokesperson, Brian Greig, said it is time for action, not posturing.
“Government MPs love to brand themselves with LGBTIQA+ groups and take pictures with rainbow flags, but none have pledged to law reform, to keep LGBTIQA+ election promises, or to bring back the Inclusive Schools program.”
“They need to be held to account.” Greig said.
“It’s all very well for government MPs to use our community as props for public relations opportunities, but what is lacking is the conviction and commitment to actually repeal laws that harm us, or enact new laws to protect us from harm.
“We cannot fundamentally address homophobia and transphobia until the legislative architecture is in place. We cannot call for safety and inclusion when vilification remains legal, hate crimes are not recognized, teachers can be sacked, students expelled and gender diverse people are not protected by anti-discrimination law. ”
Brian Greig said six months before the last state election, Just-Equal wrote to a range of Labor allies in the state parliament calling on them to sign a pledge across seven aspects of LGBTIQA+ law reform. These included ending the special religious exemptions in faith schools and services, hate speech, self-identity for people who are transgender, banning conversion practices, intersex reform and surrogacy.
“None of them responded. Nobody signed a pledge,” he said.
Greig said Premier Cook handballed his letter to former Attorney General, John Quigley, whose responses were “vague, inconclusive or absent.” He did not sign any pledges.
“Our community cannot drift into the second half of the second term of this government without consultation on draft Bills, firm dates for their introduction and strong advocacy from the Premier and allies.
“Just-Equal is using the focus that IDAHOBIT brings to our issues to write again to Labor allies, sending them a very similar survey as before the election, and once again calling on them to commit to specific reforms by actually signing pledges.”
Greig said that for the last 20 years, WA Labor had frequently s blamed the state’s Upper House for its failure to address law reform. He said Labor MPs argued it would never pass the Legislative Council because of the conservative gerrymander.
“That gerrymander was broken during the McGowan years and subsequent electoral law reform continues to favour the Cook Government. With the Greens and Legalise Cannabis Party holding balance-of-power in the legislative Council, the ALP cannot use this excuse anymore.
“Arguably, the strongest action so far on substantive law reform has come from Dr Brian Walker, who sits on the crossbench.
“However, I am gravely concerned that after the next election in 2028, One Nation and other right-wing parties will regain control the Upper House, which means we really only have 18 months to pass these reforms – or they are unlikely to ever happen.
“The window of hope is closing.”
Brian Greig said WA was behind most other states’ LGBTIQA+ law reforms, 27 years behind Tasmania with protecting teachers and students, and one of only two states that had not addressed conversion practices.
