Wednesday, 18 October 2023

LGBTIQ+ equality

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:19): (525) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Equality, and the action that I seek is for her to take all necessary steps to eradicate ongoing forms of discrimination against LGBT Victorians when it comes to issues of family and life. I was listening to the minister earlier today when she said something that she says quite regularly, and that is that she really hates it when other Victorians mouth their support for members of the LGBT community and yet then there is a ‘but’ – ‘We support the LGBT community – but.’ She said this today in debate; she has said it on many occasions. So I am sure she will not say this to me tonight when I ask her to address several ongoing forms of discrimination, given of course that the minister continues to say that in Victoria equality is not negotiable. This is a noble sentiment, but in many instances it is not true.

Recently, to come first to issues of family, I have been talking about adoption services. I have been talking about the shocking state of affairs when it comes to Victoria’s child protection system: 10,000 vulnerable children are currently in child protection tonight, yet it is impossible to adopt a child. The minister spoke about adoption and adoption equality, as she calls it, earlier today, and yet since adoption equality became law in 2017 fewer than five same-sex couples have been able to adopt a child. At the time Mr Dimopoulos said, rightly, there were thousands of LGBT Victorians who would love to adopt a child. He was right, and yet fewer than five, according to the government’s own Department of Justice and Community Safety, have been able to adopt a child. According to groups like Gay Dads and Rainbow Families, that is because of ongoing discrimination, particularly against gay men, through the government’s own processes. This is discrimination occurring in Victoria today. If that requires the minister to talk to the other minister who sits directly next to her, the Attorney-General, she can do that. It would not be good enough for her to come back to me and say, ‘Oh, but that’s not my problem.’

In addition to that, there are huge issues when it comes to surrogacy. Again, in particular gay men wishing to start a family oftentimes have to go overseas because they cannot adopt a child in Victoria or gain access to a surrogate, and yet here in Australia those who have gained access to surrogacy services are not in fact legal parents. This is ongoing discrimination against LGBT people today. Now, I have searched Hansard and I have searched elsewhere, and I am not aware that the minister has advocated to her Labor friends in Canberra regarding this issue. I am sure she will not come back to me to say, ‘That’s an issue, but ultimately it’s somebody else’s decision.’

Finally, yesterday I had an article published in Australia’s most read newspaper advocating on LGBT issues regarding the donation of blood. There is ongoing discrimination in Victoria and around Australia against gay men when it comes to donating blood. I would like to see the minister speak out on this issue, in particular to her federal colleagues. It requires state approval, federal approval and approval of other agencies, but I have no doubt that she will not simply come back to me to say, ‘This is an issue, but ultimately it’s somebody else’s problem.’