Earlier this week Executive Council of Australian Jewry voiced its support for expanded anti-vilification protections for all minority groups. LGBTIQ+ Australians face alarmingly high rates of harm, harassment and violence for being who they are.
Recently, Nazis marched in the streets targeting our communities holding a banner saying “destroy paedo freaks”, extreme violence was perpetrated against gay men through dating apps, and targeted, ongoing abuse, doxxing and threats were made against high profile gay and trans people online and offline.
Equality Australia Legal Director Heather Corkhill said:
“Strengthening protections against antisemitic hate speech is vital, but those protections must apply to all forms of hate.
“Extremist groups such as neo-Nazis target multiple communities, and the government must take this opportunity to protect every Australian affected by hate.
“We are seeing an alarming rise in violent, deliberately targeted attacks against LGBTIQ+ people and others, driven by a dangerous and deeply entrenched form of hatred.
“These threats are real, persistent and escalating, and the need for stronger, comprehensive protections against hate and vilification has never been more urgent.
“The government can send a clear message that hatred and division have no place in Australia by guaranteeing protection for every community targeted by hate.
“Getting hate laws right requires care and consideration. These are complex reforms that should not be rushed - and all affected communities need a seat at the table.”
Kent Burgess, Interim CEO of Thorne Harbour Health said:
“Thorne Harbour Health welcomes the government’s commitment to strengthening Australia’s hate speech and anti-vilification laws in response to antisemitism and racism.
“But if these reforms do not explicitly include LGBTIQ+ communities, they will leave a significant gap in protection at a time when our communities are facing serious and escalating anti-LGBTIQ+ hate. We urge the government to protect all Australians who are vulnerable to harmful vilification."
Justin Koonin, President of ACON said:
"While there is a pressing need to address antisemitism and protect members of the Jewish community, any community that is vulnerable to hate deserves the full protection of the law, and that must include LGBTQ+ people.
“Across Australia, our communities continue to be subjected to hate speech, both online and in public spaces, with serious consequences for health, safety and wellbeing.
“We know this is not abstract; national research shows that more than one in three LGBTIQ+ Australians have experienced verbal abuse, and one in four have faced harassment in a single year because of who they are.
“LGBTIQ+ people have the right to live free from fear, violence, discrimination and vilification. We strongly urge the federal government to ensure that sexuality and gender diverse communities are explicitly included in any hate speech and vilification reforms."
Jesse Matheson, CEO, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras said:
"Reform must anticipate the future, not chase it. LGBTIQA+ people are calling for enforceable hate speech protections to be embedded in Federal hate speech legislation now. Acting early - and standing firm now - protects lives, prevents harm, and reflects the values Australia claims to hold: fairness, equality, and dignity for all. The time to act is now."
Jodie Hall, Trans Justice Project said:
“Everyone deserves to be free from hatred and discrimination. Trans and gender-diverse people deserve the same rights and protections under the law as everyone else.”
Alastair Lawrie, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Justice and Equity Centre said:
“Hatred, and hate speech, is a danger to all groups who are subjected to it. Legislating to only address some kinds of hatred can therefore only ever be a partial response to this serious and widespread problem.
“We urge the Commonwealth Government to adopt a consistent approach across different groups in the community who experience hatred, to ensure its reforms cover hate speech based not just on race and religion, but also other attributes including sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, as well as sex and disability.”
Susanne Prosser, CEO of Transcend said:
"Parents want one simple thing: for their LGBTIQA+ kids to be safe and happy. For families, their child's safety is not negotiable. Hate-speech protections must be inclusive for all Australians."
Hannah Halls from Albany Pride said:
“In Albany, Western Australia we have experienced first-hand the terrible impact that occurs when hate speech is used to increase division within the community. For three elections in a row have seen hate speech that encourage people to fear and reject LGBTIAQ+ people based on nothing more than outdated, unfounded and prejudiced stereotypes.
“The increase of this hate speech has led to increased experiences of prejudice and aggression from strangers in public spaces, more exposure to discriminatory language within family, workplaces, schools and online. This reduces the sense of safety and wellbeing, increases pressures on mental health and makes it even harder for young LGBTIAQ+ people to be safe and thrive in the region.
“It is critical that the government enact legal protections from hate speech and vilification on the basis of sexuality, gender identity, and innate variations in sexual characteristics.”
Misty Farquhar, CEO Rainbow Futures WA said:
“LGBTIQA+ hate speech is certainly not new, but it's on the rise and there is genuine concern within the community about it worsening in line with current US and UK politics.
“It's particularly rife online, but people are increasingly experiencing it in person as well. Expanding federal and state-based protections against this is important for all individuals and communities experiencing structural inequalities.”
Ms Corkhill said the federal government missed an opportunity to stamp out serious forms of hate in February last year.
“The federal government failed to take a decisive stand against hate when it excluded serious vilification from its Hate Crimes Bill.
“As a result, LGBTIQ+ people and other minority communities remain unprotected from those who deliberately spread hatred, contempt and abuse.
“Criminalising incitement to violence while turning a blind eye to the rhetoric and harassment that fuels it is a superficial fix which fails to deal with an underlying cause.”
