Victorian Greens To Introduce New Anti-Vilification Bill To Protect LGBT Communities
Image: Drag performer Belial B’Zarr (centre) in Victorian Parliament with Greens MPs Gabrielle de Vietri and Aiv Puglielli. Image: Facebook/ Victorian Greens
Victorian Greens have said they will introduce a new bill in Parliament this week to expand the state’s anti-vilification laws to protect LGBTQI communities.
This comes after Victoria’s Attorney General Jaclyn Symes set a time frame of 18 months to introduce new legislation to expand anti-vilification laws to include protections for sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and HIV/AIDS status.
Greens slammed the government over the delay, in light recent incidents, including neo-Nazis performing the Hitler salute in front of the Parliament during an anti-trans rally and far-right groups targeting public drag performances.
“The Victorian Labor Government has known about the need to expand our anti-vilification laws for years now, but refused to act,” Victorian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson and MP Gabrielle de Vietri said in a statement.
“And now we’re seeing neo-Nazis, the far-right, and even members of our own Parliament feel emboldened to spout anti-LGBTIQA+ hate.”
LGBTQI Communities Face Threats
According to Greens, LGBTQI communities in Victoria have faced “ increasing levels of harassment, abuse, and threats of violence.”
“We know LGBTIQA+ communities face disproportionate levels of depression, self-harm and suicide, and it’s so often because of views like these. If equality is ‘non-negotiable’, what is the Government waiting for?,” asked de Vietri.
“We need to reform our anti-vilification laws as a matter of urgency, and the Greens are ready to act now.”
The Greens said they would introduce the Racial and Religious Tolerance Amendment (Anti-Vilification) Bill 2023 this week.
Anti-Vilification Law
The Legal and Social Issues Committee tabled its inquiry report before the Victorian Parliament in March 2021, calling for anti-vilification laws to be extended to other vulnerable groups. In September 2021, the Dan Andrew Labor government committed to implement the report.
Earlier this month, Symes assured Victorian Parliament that expanding the anti-vilification laws was a “high priority” for the government.
Symes told Nine Newspapers that the government would not be rushed into introducing the new law to “score cheap political points”. The Attorney General said it would work with LGBTQI community members and multi-cultural and faith communities too get the law right.
