The Federal Government last week advertised for a specialist LGBTIQA+ advisor at the Australian Human Rights Commission, a move that has been welcomed by rights organisation Just.Equal.

The appointment comes after Just.Equal Australia had repeatedly criticised the government for failing to appoint a dedicated LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner, as well as neglecting funding for a specialist adviser for almost a year.

Spokesperson for Just.Equal, Brian Greig, has welcomed news that the position has been created, but said it was no substitute for a full-time Commissioner. He repeated his call for the Albanese Government to address this.

“The nation’s human rights watchdog has dedicated commissioners for Sex, Race, Disability, Age, Children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is no-one for LGBTIQA+ people despite the obvious need,” Greig said.

Appointing an LGBTIIQA+ Commissioner was Labor party policy up to the 2018 federal election, but was dropped when Mr Albanese became leader for the 2022 election.

“In recent years the AHRC has engaged in little or no advocacy for LGBTIQA+ people despite increasing attacks on our rights, especially the rights of trans and gender diverse people, and attacks under cover of ‘religious freedom’.”

“The LGBTIQA+ portfolio has been shuffled around within the Commission for years and currently sits with the president, but it has no specific home because there is no LGBTIQA+ Commissioner.

“The new adviser position may help lift the profile of LGBTIQA+ issues to the government and wider community, but without a dedicated Commissioner the government is sending the message that LGBTIQA+ issues are not as important as others,” Brian Greig said.

OIP Staff

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