New South Wales politician Fred Nile has introduced a bill into the state’s parliament that would allow for LGBTI people to be discriminated against. The Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill (Religious Freedoms) would allow change New South Wales anti-discrimination laws so that religious bodies and individuals could refuse service to people because of their religious beliefs. It […]
The federal Labor party has declared that it has no plans to introduce protections that would prevent LGBTI people being fired from their jobs if they work for a religious organisation. Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek made the declaration in response a pre-budget submission released by the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC). In their submission the NCEC […]
Australian LGBTI advocacy group just.equal have launched a petition to combat any roll back of anti-discrimination laws following the passage of marriage equality. The group are concerned that the Prime Minister’s inquiry into religious freedom, led by former Liberal MP Philip Ruddock, may see protections for LGBTI people revoked. “The current religious freedom movement has […]
Political advocacy group Rainbow Rights WA have joined other LGBTI+ rights groups in calling on the state government to review Western Australia’s anti-discrimination laws. Currently the state has clauses which allow religious bodies, including schools, to fire staff if they believe that the staff member is homosexual. The laws apply to all employees of institutions […]
As the Turnbull government’s $120 million postal survey on marriage draws to a close, there is rising concern that the opponents of marriage equality will launch a new offensive against change, even if the majority of Australians indicate that they want same sex couples to have the right to wed. Will the bill that gets […]
Tasmania’s LGBTIQ community have celebrated Premier Will Hodgman today for offering an apology to those convicted under past discriminatory laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing. Premier Hodgman will issue the apology this afternoon, coinciding with a debate on a bill to overturn historical convictions. The move also comes just before the 20th anniversary of the decriminalisation […]
The Australian Greens announced a raft of policies relating to the LGBTIQ community. The annoucement was made yesterday during International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. The party said it would commit to $32 million full roll out of the Safe Schools program, removal of religious exemptions to federal anti-discrimination law and work to […]
A New York state business who were fined $13,000 USD for denying a lesbian couple the right to marry at their venue have been denied the opportunity to appeal their case under the state’s anti-discrimination law. Liberty Ridge Farm owners Cynthia and Robert Gifford refused to allow Melisa and Jennie McCarthy to marry on their premises near […]
Tasmania’s Anti-discrimination commission has ruled that the Catholic church and Tasmanian Archbishop Julian Porteous may have a case to answer in relation to the church’s ‘Don’t mess with marriage’ booklet. A complaint about the booklet was raised by transgender activist and Green parliamentary candidate Martine Delaney. Ms Delaney has argued that the booklet that set […]
Julia Gillard has taken further steps to cement homophobia in Australia, with a promise that religious institutes can still discriminate against the LGBT population and others they deem as ‘sinners’. The head of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Jim Wallace, confirmed that Gillard made promises to keep current laws, whereby faith based organisations including schools […]