Tuesday, 24 May 2022

LGBTIQA+ equality

Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (17:36): (1921) My matter this evening is for the Minister for Equality, and the action I seek is for the minister to examine how LGBTIQA+ people of all ages can be protected from hate speech ahead of and during the upcoming state election. We have just witnessed a federal election where the Morrison-led LNP government deliberately chose a candidate in a high-profile seat who embarked on a public tirade against LGBTIQA+ people, in particular taking aim at trans children. Not only that, she also walked away from what was not an apology in real terms and proceeded to double down, backed by the Prime Minister on every occasion. If this was a tactic that sought to vilify and demonise cisgender children, there would surely be uproar, yet somehow the lives of trans kids do not count. This grubby gutter politics has brought a spotlight of fear and hatred on a group of young people whose rate of death by suicide is 15 times higher than any other youth demographic. How dare you.

We have seen this dog whistling before, this calling to arms of the bigoted, the homophobic and transphobic element of Australian society that, despite all the efforts of a new younger and more caring generation coming through, continues to exist. All the old lies and tropes were wheeled out by a once principled party, a party that has not suffered a lurch but a full-on charge to the far right by a now ex-Prime Minister that himself weaponised the debate both in a cheap political strategy and because he himself is a champion of those attitudes. We know that faction exists also in the LNP in Victoria, and the potential for the same type of campaign being run in our state election is very real.

It will not be the politicians or the conspiracy theorists who suffer at the hands of a rabid hate campaign; it will be the community of all LGBTIQA+ people, and my greatest fear is that it will cost lives. At the very least a community that were once in hiding, who are now out and proud, will feel justified in not being able to live their authentic lives because they will be fearful for their lives, just as they were in the dark ages of the 1950s through to the 80s and 90s. Minister, will you move to protect them and before the election take all necessary steps to prevent hate speech in public, in print, online and in all media at all times and, in so doing, proving again that you are part of a government that believes we are all equals not just in rhetoric but under the law?