Victorian Greens Release Their Rainbow Manifesto Ahead Of November Elections
Image: Greens MP Sam Hibbins
Ahead of the state elections in Victoria in November, Victorian Greens have committed to stronger protections for the LGBTQI communities and a $200 million Rainbow State Fund.
“We should all feel safe and have equal opportunities in life, no matter our sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics. Yet here in Victoria lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual people continue to face discrimination across multiple areas of their lives,” Victorian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson, Sam Hibbins MP said in a statement.
The party launched their ‘Rainbow State Action Plan for Victoria’ on Friday August 26, 2022, at the Victorian pride Centre.
The Greens cited to their vote in the Victorian Parliament to pass the government’s LGBTQI law reforms “to protect students and teachers at faith-based schools, for birth certificate reform and for an end to so-called conversion practices.”
“But we know there’s much more that needs to be done. Law reform and funding for LGBTIQA+ community-led organisations will be essential to ensuring Victoria truly becomes the Rainbow State,” said Hibbins.
“This November we’ll be making sure LGBTIQA+ rights are placed squarely on the agenda for the next term of Parliament.”
Equality Bill
The Victorian Greens said that if elected they would introduce an Equality Bill to “prevent all faith-based schools and organisations from discriminating against LGBTQI students, staff and services users, give the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission stronger powers, ban deferrable medical interventions on intersex children and enshrine the LGBTIQ+ Communities Commissioner and the LGBTIQ+ Taskforce in legislation.”
The party has also committed to expanding anti-vilification laws to “protect LGBTQI people and support victims of hate crimes, including by making vilification and public harassment a crime and legislating to make violence motivated by hate a specific criminal offence.”
The Greens’ promise also includes a $200 million Rainbiow State fund to support LGBTQI community-led organisations to provide services in the areas of mental health, youth services, homelessness and sexual health and services for trans, gender diverse and non-binary Victorians.
More Greens In Parliament
In a social media post, the Greens leader made a pitch for electing more Greens members to the Victorian Parliament to push for LGBTQI reforms.
“We should all feel safe and have equal opportunities in life, no matter our sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics,” the MP said on social media.
“Yet gaps and loopholes in our laws allow discrimination against LGBTIQA+ people to continue.
The Greens plan will introduce comprehensive legislation to close these gaps and make sure that LGBTIQA+ people are safe from discrimination and harm,” added Hibbins.
