‘Anti-Trans Idiocy Is Not Welcome In Australia’
Image: Trans Day Of Visibility March in Melbourne on March 31, 2023. (AAP Image/Diego Fedele)
By Todd Fernando
Across the world, we see safety, especially for trans and gender-diverse people, under threat from anti-trans activism and legal wins being rolled back. The response from the Australian public has firmly shown that such anti-trans idiocy is not welcome here.
In Victoria, our government not only called out the hurt and harm done by such public anti-trans messaging but also delivered a $900,000 package to boost care and services for the mental health of TGD Victorians.
Actions like these build on the approach outlined in the Victorian Government’s landmark LGBTIQ+ strategy, Pride in Our Future, the first of its kind in Australia and, indeed, the world. Over the years, Victoria has made significant progress towards creating a more inclusive society for LGBTIQ+ people., and we have a long-term 10-year vision to drive systemic change and improve outcomes for LGBTIQ+ Victorians.
LGBTQI Strategy
We must recognise that our differences are our strengths, and then work together to create a society that celebrates and values diversity in all its forms. Our communities are diverse and intersectional, encompassing people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and sex characteristics, cultural and faith backgrounds, abilities, and life experiences.
The LGBTQI strategy aims to ensure that all Victorians feel safe, are healthy, have equal human rights and can live wholly and freely. It also seeks to enable LGBTIQ+ Victorians to experience the benefits of full participation in economic, educational, political, community, and social areas at all stages of life.
But our communities face unique challenges that require tailored solutions, including building a system that reflects our LGBTIQ+ communities who are also First Nations, multicultural, multi-faith, living in outer urban, regional, or rural areas, and living with disabilities.
Reducing The Impact Of Discrimination
We must also recognise and respond to the intersectionality of identities, address the drivers that create and perpetuate inequity and ensure the lived experiences of our LGBTIQ+ communities in integral to policy design and program implementation. This is essential to truly reduce the impact of discrimination and marginalisation on our health and well-being.
To create safer and more inclusive communities, we must work together, across all levels of government and society to achieve this goal. And there are many practical actions we can take, such as volunteering for LGBTIQ+ organisations, attending events that promote inclusivity and acceptance or writing to your local member or council.
Our governments need our voices in our communities to make sure that strategies like Pride in Our Future reflect the needs of our communities. Because equality is everyone’s business.
Dr Todd Fernando is the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities
