From January 31st gay men will be able to donate blood after a three month celibacy period rather than twelve, but advocates say the celibacy period should be abolished altogether and replaced with screening for individual risk. The Red Cross Blood Service, Lifeblood, has now confirmed on its LGBTIQ donor webpage that from January 31st […]
National LGBTIQ+ advocates have welcomed the new guidelines from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) regarding data collection on sex, gender, sexual orientation and variations of sex characteristics. Formerly named the Sex and Gender Standard, the new document expands the scope to include Sex, Gender, Variation of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables. LGBTIQ+ Health […]
Opinion: Rodney Croome 2020 was the year Australia fell behind other countries on blood equality. In April, the Trump administration announced a reduction in the celibacy period for gay men wanting to donate from twelve months to three. President-elect, Joe Biden, then trumped that with a commitment to abolish the ban altogether. Meanwhile, two gay-unfriendly […]
National LGBTIQ+ advocacy group just.equal has ramped up their campaign to end the ban on gay, bi and trans folks donating blood here in Australia, following a recent decision out of the UK. This week the UK Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs made the recommendation that all donors be assessed […]
Australian LGBTIQ+ advocacy group just.equal have welcomed the UK’s decision to lift the ban on gay and bi+ male blood donors, and call for action at home. This week the UK Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs made the recommendation that all donors be assessed for individual risk, rather than exclude […]
On November 27, The Australian newspaper published an article in which the newly-formed LGB (lesbian, gay & bisexual) Alliance said trans and gender diverse rights pose a threat to the rights of same-sex attracted people. Specifically, Alliance spokesperson, Kat Karena, said “including ‘gender identity’ in the law banning conversion therapy may have the effect of legally […]
LGBTIQ equality advocates continue to push for Australia’s federal, state and territory governments to lift the celibacy requirement for gay, bisexual and transgender people who want to give blood. National advocacy group, just.equal, has written to all Australia’s health ministers asking how they responded to the proposal made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in […]
Tasmanian Liberal party members have voted in favour of repealing the state’s landmark laws on transgender recognition. At the party’s state conference this weekend party members voted to turn back the laws which were introduced in 2019, with delegates saying the legislation favoured a minority of people. According to local news outlet The Advocate conference delegate Andrea […]
LGBTIQ+ advocates in Tasmania have raised concerns over a newspaper promoting harmful LGBTIQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ being delivered to residents of Hobart. Hobart resident and court journalist for The Mercury posted an image of the Challenge Good News Paper to Twitter on Tuesday 27th November. Wow. What the actual f*** is the Challenge Good News Paper? It arrived in […]
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Claire Chandler says she will not be “withdrawing, retracting, modifying or apologising” for her comments on trans women in sport. The statement comes as the politician has been called before the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commission after a complaint was lodged over an opinion piece published in a newspaper and subsequent email outlining her opposition […]
