The Western Australian Law Reform Commission released its Discussion Paper which reviews the state’s Equal Opportunity Act (1984) earlier this year.

WA Attorney General John Quigley announced that the government will commence a review of the state’s Equal Opportunity laws back in 2018, including those which allow schools to expel students and fire teachers who are gay, bisexual or transgender.

“Experience and statistics suggest that more could be done to protect and encourage the equal treatment which we expect, and to which we are entitled as members of the Western Australian community,” the Commission published in the paper’s foreword.

“It is reasonable to think that the Act could be changed and improved to help ensure that Western Australia continues to be a fair, respectful and non-discriminatory community.”

Advocates from Rainbow Futures WA and the Youth Pride Network are encouraging West Aussies to engage with the consultation process and shape recommendations and amendments to better protect LGBTQIA+ folks.

These recommendations include ensuring harassment and hate-based conduct is properly addressed in the act, removing barriers for trans and gender diverse folks to receive affirming documentation, introducing laws that ban unnecessary medical intervention on intersex people and enacting a Human Rights Act that protects human rights in government decision making.

You can hear more from Youth Pride Network’s Charlotte Glance and Rainbow Futures WA’s Misty Farquhar chatting with Leigh Andrew Hill on RTRFM’s All Things Queer here.

To have your say on the consultation, head to rainbowfutureswa.good.do

OIP Staff

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