More than 120 political candidates have pledged support for freedom and equality of trans and gender diverse people if elected to the Australian parliament on 3 May.
They include a mix of high-profile sitting MPS including Labor’s Ged Kearney and Josh Burns, Greens leader Adam Bandt and housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather and fellow Green Stephen Bates, plus independents Zali Steggal, Allegra Spender, and Monique Ryan.
No members of the Liberal, National or Pauline Hanson’s One Nation were willing to publicly show support for transge3nder and gender diverse people.
The candidate pledge was organised by the Trans Justice Project.
“Trans people deserve to thrive, we deserve to feel safe in our communities, and to build good lives free from discrimination,” said Jackie Turner, Director of the Trans Justice Project.
“We can’t let the hateful politics that are playing out in the US happen here. That’s why we are mobilising all over the country to fight for our health care, rights, and freedom.”
“We are showing that whoever is elected, our community is organised, powerful, and ready to hold them to account.”
“This pledge is a litmus test for whether candidates will fight for our community, or whether they will sit back and allow cynical politicians to scapegoat our community.”
The group says volunteers have been approaching candidates and having conversations in communities all over the country to build support for the pledge.
The campaign calls on candidates to make a public commitment to protect trans youth from attacks on their health care, make trans healthcare accessible and affordable for everyone who needs it, support reforms that give trans people the same rights and protections as everyone else, and invest in trans lives by combatting homelessness, poverty, and unemployment.
Turner argues that transgender issues should not be a political issue for the election campaign, highlighting February polling from Redbridge, conducted for Equality Australia, found that 86% agree or strongly agree that government and opposition should not politicise trans issues for political gain.
Western Australian candidates signing the pledge include Greens Kitty Hemsley who is running in Curtin, Sophie Greer who is running in Perth, Georgia Beardman who is standing in Forrest, Scott McCarthy for Moore, Amy Warne for Fremantle, Senator Jordon Steele-John, and senate candidate Verity Ives.
Fremantle Labor MP Josh Wilson is the one WA based of his party to sign the pledge, while independents Caz Heise who is running Cowper and Sue Chapman who is standing for Forrest have signed on.
Socialist Alliance’s Frmenatle candidate Joshua Last has added his name to the pledge as senate candidate and Boorloo Queer Liberation organiser Nova Sobieralski.
See the full list of signatories.
