Dr Thomas Brough, the Albany-based emergency department doctor who serves on the city’s council and was the Liberal candidate at the 2025 state election, has been issued a warning over comments he made in 2024 about LGBTQIA+ communities.
Dr Brough was referred to the State Administrative Tribunal by the Medical Board of Australia after it received complaints about a series of comments he made in 2024. In those comments, he alleged that the “+” in the LGBTQIA+ acronym included “minor attracted people”, a term sometimes used to refer to people who are sexually attracted to children.
The ABC has reported on the latest development, Dr Brough declined to comment when they approach him about the finding.
In settlement proceedings on Thursday, both parties agreed that Dr Brough’s comments constituted unprofessional conduct by a registered medical practitioner.
OUTinPerth understands that a link to the State Administrative Tribunal’s findings will be added to Dr Brough’s entry on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s register of practitioners.
The matter began in 2024 during a council meeting at which the success of Albany’s Pride Festival was discussed. Dr Brough asked his fellow councillors and the broader community to “hone in” on the “+” symbol in the LGBTQIA+ acronym, arguing that it indicated acceptance of people described as “minor attracted people”.
Dr Brough later repeated those comments in media interviews and articles published in local community publications. Months later, he issued a statement apologising for the remarks and said he regretted “any hurt that has been caused”.
Dr Brough’s council colleagues condemned the comments and directed him to undertake diversity training. However, he declined to participate in the training, and in a separate decision, the State Administrative Tribunal ruled in his favour. The tribunal found he was not required to undertake the training and that the council had erred in treating his comments as a breach of its Code of Conduct.
