Tuesday, 17 June 2025

LGBTIQA+ youth support

Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:31): (1709) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Equality, and the action I seek is for the minister to respond to the requests of young queer people in the Minus18 Queer Youth Now report. Only 6 per cent of queer young people feel that the government does a good job of understanding and listening to people like them. Minus18 just released their national survey of LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia, titled Queer Youth Now. Nearly 3000 young queer people took this survey, and it paints a clear picture of how much more work needs to be done. Eighty-nine per cent of LGBTQIA+ young people have experienced bullying, harassment and violence in their lifetime. Seventy per cent said they had been negatively impacted by the news’ and media’s portrayal of LGBTQIA+ issues in the past year. When the media, when politicians, use LGBTQIA+ people for their culture wars, this is the result: young people who feel left behind and who are subjected to bullying and harassment; and, as we have seen happen in places like Queensland and wanted by some here, the removal of life-saving gender-affirming care.

This data also shows something extremely concerning: young queer people are going back into the closet when they participate in sports groups and when they enter the workforce. With the continued stream of homophobia I have experienced since being elected, I understand. It is why I am so outwardly proud of my own identity. But there are things the government can do. Young queer people have laid out some really basic and really easy first steps to start getting us on the right track. They have asked for more LGBTQIA+ student groups in their schools. They have asked for people to respect gender identity and pronouns, for people to publicly show support for the queer community and learn more about queer lives, and for the government to make an effort to understand and listen to people like them. These are bare minimum asks, and much more is needed to fully address the hate and marginalisation that queer people face. Growing up, being that young queer kid, feeling seen, feeling listened to and being welcomed would have made a huge difference, so I implore you to do more.