Tasmania Officially Recognises Asexual, Aromantic And Agender Persons
Image: Australian Asexuals. Image: Facebook
LGBTQI advocates have hailed the Tasmanian government’s historic move to recognise Asexual, Aromantic, and Agender persons.
The Tasmanian Government officially expanded the acronym LGBTIQA+ to include the letter “A,” to recognise asexual, aromantic, and agender people. According to LGBTQI advocates Tasmania is the first state to take this significant step.
The state’s Whole-of-Government LGBTIQ+ Reference Group will now be known as the LGBTIQA+ Reference Group.
Inclusion Of ‘A’
“The Tasmanian Government’s vision is for an inclusive community where all Tasmanians are treated with dignity, respect and without discrimination,” Minister for Community Services and Development, Nic Street, said in a statement.
“In line with this vision, we are ensuring that no one feels excluded or left behind. The inclusion of ‘A’ to the LGBTIQ+ acronym ensures that asexual, aromantic and agender communities have greater visibility, representation and support that they deserve,” said Street.
Samuel Watchman and Ash McCullough, who identify as a-spec (members of the asexual, aromantic and agender communities) and advocated for reforms, said that the government’s decision was a significant milestone.
“The asexual, aromantic and agender communities remain some of the most highly misunderstood, mistreated and misrepresented LGBTIQA+ communities due to the lack of awareness for asexual, aromantic and agender identifying peoples’ experiences,” said Watchman.
“However, with the government recognising our existence by expanding the acronym, our identities and experiences have been, and will forever be, validated, inspiring future change that will improve the acceptance, treatment and perception of asexual, aromantic and gender-identifying people in Tasmania, across Australia and around the world.”
Tasmania Leads
McCullough said the decision sends a message that “you can have authentic relationships with yourself and others, however, that looks for you.”
According to Equality Tasmania spokesperson Lucy Mercer-Mapstone the next step is to ensure the community’s needs are recognised and “met in government and non-government policy and service delivery.”
“Asexual, aromantic and agender Tasmanians have been invisible for too long and now have their place alongside other members of the state’s LGBTIQA+ community. Despite being the last state to decriminalise homosexuality, Tasmania has led on LGBTIQA+ human rights in recent years and this is yet another example of that leadership,” added Mercer-Mapstone.
