24 August 2022

The Labor Party has published the Jobs + Skills Summit Issues Paper, and LGBTQIA+ people have been entirely left out despite listing many groups of workers who face discrimination. Queer and gender diverse people experience higher rates of unemployment and workplace discrimination, and must be included in discussions on these issues.

Quotes attributable to Member for Brisbane and Australian Greens LGBTQIA+ Spokesperson, Stephen Bates MP: 

Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson Senator Janet Rice and candidate for Macnamara Steph Hodgins-May will today announce the Greens fully-costed plan for Achieving LGBTIQA+ Equality.

With the Liberals actively harming queer people, with Scott Morrison and Katherine Deves doing all they can to manufacture a culture war, and with Labor conspicuously silent on LGBTIQA+ rights, the Greens are the only party LGBTIQA+ people and progressives can rely on this election.

The Greens urge the Government to use the parliamentary break to amend the serious problems in the proposed religious discrimination laws.

"This is a chance for the Prime Minister to fix the obvious flaws in the Bill which allow for harmful discrimination," Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim said.

"But it's no secret that some church groups want to be allowed to discriminate even more than they were already being offered."

Greens Senators Janet Rice and Nick McKim have condemned the treatment of two Saudi journalists by the Australian government.

Quotes attributable to Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson

“Since being gay is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, Sultan and Nassar* had no choice but to flee and seek asylum here.

“It’s unconscionable that Australia is treating them like criminals when the supposed ‘crime’ was loving each other. What values does our purportedly fair and diverse country stand for?

All Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ+) people have the right to be free from discrimination, have autonomy over their bodies, and access to holistic and comprehensive health services. The Greens will support LGBTIQ+ people and their families to ensure they are treated equally and free from discrimination.

The Greens will:

1. Establish a $70mil grants scheme for LGBTIQ+ community organisations to self organise and advocate

2. Provide funding for research and data collection.

The Australian Greens have written to the Foreign Minister Marise Payne to express deep concern over Brunei’s new laws that punish homosexual sex with death.

“Brunei’s new laws punishing homosexual sex with death are extremely concerning and a serious violation of basic human rights,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.

“I urge the Australian government to put as much pressure on Brunei to immediately repeal these inhumane laws."

The Australian Greens are celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility by announcing a number of policies to make trans and gender diverse peoples lives safer and easier.

“The Greens are celebrating transgender and gender diverse people today and repeating our commitment to fight for full equality for trans and gender diverse people, as well as all LGBTIQ+ people,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.

The Senate today passed a Greens motion calling on parliamentarians to acknowledge the personal and professional harm caused by discriminatory treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Australian Defence Force members.

“Until 1992, gay, lesbian and bisexual people were explicitly banned from serving in our defence forces,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.

New research showing the harm caused to LGBTIQ+ people by the marriage equality vote including elevated levels of depression, anxiety and stress, is not a surprise, say Greens.

“We all knew the postal survey was going to cause harm to LGBTIQ+ people - everyone from medical experts, mental health organisations, community groups and LGBTIQ+ people continuously warned against it,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.