On Saturday the 4th of September, Gay and Lesbian Equality hosted a small but lively forum in central Perth. The discussion focussed upon ways to build an effective, sustainable and inclusive campaign for equal rights for Australians of diverse sexuality and gender – both within WA and across Australia.
The workshop was split into four sessions; the first being an address by state and federal policy-makers regarding the intricacies of the politics of GLBTI reform.
Senator Louise began by explaining a little about the Labor party’s policies regarding marriage, anti-discrimination and gender-recognition, discrimination within the health and education sectors and the growing support for equal relationship recognition and Rainbow Labor – as well as the merits and disadvantages of a conscience vote on the issue.
Greens MP Lynn MacLaren followed, explaining some of the details of WA politics and the likelihood of support for a Civil Unions Bill – as well as going into detail about the implications of the hung parliament and the influence of the Greens and Independents.
The second session was a facilitated group discussion that focussed around three questions:
Why are you here?
While there was a diverse range of people attending the workshop, many of the responses were very similar – people had turned up because they were interested in creating and continuing a positive presence in the community in a new and unforseen political environment, hoping to learn more about GALE and ways to improve existing networks and strategies. Better access to adequate and appropriate healthcare (particularly mental health) and legal systems was also a high priority, as well as greater visibility and recognition of transgendered, transsexual and intersexed people. Of course, marriage and the issue of equal relationship recognition was one of the most common factors influencing the conversation and motivation for attending.
What does Equality mean to you?
There was a fair amount of discussion on this topic, but the main points that were more or less unanimously agreed upon were:
- Acknowledgement of GLBTI people as full members of society.
- A society that is respectful and inclusive of all people.
- A society based upon social inclusion and human rights framework.
- No type of privilege (ie: Relationship, sexuality, gender, class etc.)
Why do we still need to advocate for GLBTI Equality?
A good deal of emphasis was placed upon how far we have come and how much has been achieved, but there were several issues that were identified as still being highly problematic including the huge restrictions placed upon trans and intersexed people –especially relating to gender-identity recognition and transphobia, a need for improvement in mental health services for GLBTI people, discrimination in the Education sector, the lack of federal anti-discrimination laws, access to legal and medical services, as well as information regarding sexuality and gender issues, issues facing people of diverse sexuality and gender in rural and remote areas and public awareness regarding inequality and the effects of discrimination and homo/transphobia.
According to the survey that was handed out before this session, the recognition of GLBTI rights as Human Rights within Australia was also something that was very important to those that attended, and there was a good deal of emphasis upon the visibility of women and transgendered people within community advocacy.
Effects of Discrimination and Societal Inequality
The results of the surveys that were completed after the end of the first session asked attendees to identify how discrimination and inequality on the basis of their sexuality/gender identity had impacted upon their lives. Respondents reported that harassment, bullying and vilification within schools and the workplace, as well as a refusal by authorities to recognise their identities, relationships or families has seriously impeded their ability to work and study, as well as the ability to adequately express themselves for fear of reprisal from friends, family and co-workers. The reported refusals of services on the basis of sexuality or gender identity were also worryingly high. Unsurprisingly, a corresponding percentage also reported ill-mental health as a result, especially given the lack of adequate understanding of GLBTI issues within many healthcare providers. The imposition of inadequacy or illegitimacy upon various identities, tokenism as well as the fear of abuse and physical violence were also common responses when asked about their experiences.
What makes an effective campaign?
Following an analysis of previous campaigns for GLBTI rights that had been highly successful (namely, the 2001/2 reforms in WA and the ongoing Singaporean Pink Dot project) a brainstorming session identified precisely what it was that made a community initiative work. Clearly defined objectives, personalised correspondence, the usage of narrative and personal stories as well as the usage of professional allies, ambassadors and community networks were all identified as factors that contribute to a campaign’s success, as well as the ability to form alliances with other marginalised communities and to give a voice to communities.
The focus on reasonable and rational discourse when confronted with opposition, as well as the ability to make the issue relatable to the wider public was also identified as something of great importance.
What issues should the next stage of the campaign focus on?
When asked what issues should GALE prioritise in the ongoing campaign – it was encouraging to see that although Equal Marriage was highly important, the issues facing trans and gender-diverse people was not considered any less of a priority, with a call for the Government to implement the recommendations of the Sex Files report. Recognition of gender-identity and the corresponding access to appropriate legal and medical services as well as addressing the significant inequities and pitfalls of mental health services for people of diverse sexuality and gender were the top three most common concerns. There was also a strong focus upon improvements within the education sector – including the introduction of anti-bullying and harassment initiatives within schools. The focus on GLBTI families – including equal access to IVF and adoption was also raised and supported.
Our thanks go out to all that attended the workshop on the fourth, your feedback and opinions have been invaluable to us for building the next stages of the campaign, and we hope that you found the session as informative and as useful as we did. We have identified the three main areas of concern to be equal relationship recognition/marriage, Gender-identity recognition and accessibility for trans* Australians and addressing the impacts of discrimination and inequality upon mental health.
We would appreciate if you could leave some feedback in the comments section regarding GALE’s next steps in the campaign for equality;
1) What strategies should the campaign use to achieve change on the three campaign areas?
2) What key message or theme should the campaign be communicating?
Thanks very much – we hope to see you at the AGM on the 25th.
