Western Australia’s Attorney-General Dr Tony Buti says he is “appalled” by an ongoing attacks against members of the LGBTIQA+ communities in Perth via offensive flyers.
Speaking to The Sunday Times Dr Buti said the government would be introducing new Equal Opportunity legislation very soon.
For over 12 months small flyers with outrageous claims against specific members of the local LGBTIQA+ communities have been spread across Perth suburbs. They include images of specific people with claims they are involved in everything from drug dealing to sex trafficking, pedophilia, and backyard medical experiments.
When community members first approach police about the flyers in 2025 they were brushed off with officers telling people it was a civil matter.
Since OUTinPerth began reporting on the flyers and asking questions, and more members of the community who are featured in the flyers have come forward WA police have taken the incidents seriously and launched an investigation into their manufacture and distribution.
People have reported recieving the flyers in many suburbs including Subiaco, West Leederville, Highgate, Mount Lawley, Maylands, Bayswater, Victoria Park and as far out of the inner city as Gosnells.
Dr Buti said investigating the flyers would be a matter for WA suggesting that the distributor of the flyers may have broken existing laws including the distribution of intimate images.
“It would be a matter for WA Police to investigate the facts of each matter,” he told The Sunday Times. “Various Criminal Code offences could apply, including distributing intimate images.
A spokesperson for WA Police said no charges have been laid over the flyer distribution.
“We acknowledge and appreciate community support in providing information relating to criminal offences as this is an essential element of our ability to identify and disrupt criminal activity,” the spokesperson said.
OUTinPerth’s understanding is that police investigating the matter have been advised by the State Solicitors Office that there might not be a pathway for charges under the current laws.
Dr Buti says the government is working on closing gaps in the law that allow for people to be targeted over their sexuality or gender identity.
“The Government is considering the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission of WA and the Disability Royal Commission to expand the scope of existing anti-vilification provisions.
“The Government will also soon be introducing new Equal Opportunity legislation which will improve civil protections relating to vilification and harassment.” Dr Buti said.
While the federal parliament passed new hate speech laws in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack, they do not include any provisions for people being targeting because of their sexuality and gender identity.
Dr Misty Farquhar, CEO of Rainbow Futures, the peak body for LGBTIQA+ communities in Western Australia, says there’s an obvious gap in both federal and state legislation.
“They are targeting LGBTIQA+ community members and potentially outing them to their local communities in deceitful ways,” Dr Farquhar told The Sunday Times.
“We only have anti-vilification laws on the basis of race, but no other kind of identity,” they said.
“If somebody was putting the flyers out on the basis of a person’s race, then they could be convicted but they can’t in this way.”
