Advocacy

Diversity ACT advocates on behalf of the LGBTIAQ+ community to help build an inclusive and safe region. This includes work in the media and direct submissions to governments.

Recent advocacy products

Media releases

Articles

Submissions

Diversity ACT has provided submissions on:

Topics

We advocate on a range of topics to support the LGBTQIA+ community of the ACT region. Here are just some of the topics we have advocated on in the past.

Religious Freedom Bill 2021

We wrote to all ACT federal politicians on 23 November 2021, to express our deep concern about the potential negative impact of the bill and the associated amendments to other legislation. Our position is that legislative provisions for religious freedom would best be made through the mechanism of a comprehensive Human Rights Act.

If the reporting about the provisions contained within the bill are accurate, Diversity ACT believes that many of the concerns we raised in our submission on the second Exposure Draft regarding the issue of abuse of power, specifically in preferencing the religious rights of one group with more power over the human rights of other groups with less power, remain unaddressed.

Diversity ACT remains concerned that the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 does not yet achieve the balance between religious freedoms and human rights that is required. We fear that vulnerable people such as women, single parents, LGBTIAQ+ people, people with a disability and ethnically and religiously diverse populations are likely to be adversely impacted should the bill be implemented in its current form.  

You can see a copy of our letter to Senator Seselja here: Senator Seselja Religious Freedom Bill 2021

Youth homelessness

In 2018, a Council to Homeless Persons study concluded that queer young people are twice as likely to experience homelessness as their heterosexual peers. These young people are forced to couch surf and sleep rough because of fear of rejection or being cast out of their homes by the families who are supposed to keep them safe.

A 2017 Sydney University study found that trans and non-binary young people are at highest risk. Queer young people are more likely to experience abuse in their homes.  But the dangers don’t stop there.  Even if they do manage to get into a boarding house or a crisis centre, these places can be very dangerous for queer people.    Being forced to live with strangers and the threat of physical/sexual violence are detrimental to mental and physical health.

Leaders and members of our youth group’s lived experience of homelessness informs our practice. We are working to provide advocacy and support in accessing safe, secure housing, and a safe place for community connection, learning, mindfulness and fun.

Equality in parenting

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and queer (LGBTIAQ+) community contains many parents, some of whom are pregnant or lactating. We note that for some members of the LGBTIAQ+ community, pregnancy and lactation is challenging and support in feeding their babies is desperately needed. We welcome the partnership between ABA and Rainbow Families, seeking to provide affirming and supportive services for LGBTIAQ+ parents and expecting parents. We celebrate the fact that the first LGBTIAQ+ specific lactation and feeding classes in Australia begin on 17 July 2021.