In this article, Jazmine Finuliar informs us on this issue.
Photo Credit: Financial Times
LGBTQ+ discrimination in Australia is deeply rooted in its colonial past. Indigenous Aboriginal Australians were free to be in same-sex relationships and no laws had forbid them from exercising that right. However, the British Empire had began to colonize Australia, and Western perspectives of homosexuality had been enforced. This not only took away a part of their cultural beliefs, but also introduced a new and detrimental viewpoint of society into the colonies.
Prejudice towards LGBTQ+ individuals in colonial Australia took the form of incarceration. Like many other Western societies, sodomy was punishable by imprisonment. Despite its legalization in south Australia in 1975, the Commonwealth finally repealed anti-gay laws 19 years later in 1994. They had passed the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act which legalized intimacy between same-sex couples. However, it took Tasmania another 3 years to repeal anti-homosexuality laws, finally legalizing it in 1997.
The rise of gay liberation groups in Australia began in the 1960s, which was in tune with gay rights movements in America. The very first Australian political organization for LGBTQ+ rights was a chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis that had been established in Melbourne in 1969. The organization, as well as its American counterpart, advocated for lesbian rights despite gay men being bigger targets of discrimination. Proceeding this was the establishment of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution, or C.A.M.P, in Sydney in 1971. C.A.M.P’s objective was to educate society on the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community had to face at the time, and strived to get people to understand that. In the same year, Society Five was formed, inspired by the contributions of C.A.M.P. These early organizations all had one common goal in particular, which was that they wanted their own community to feel less isolated from the general public. Through their work, they have helped form a space for them to fit into and made sure that they feel empowered just by surrounding themselves with love, peace, and acceptance.
Because of the advocacy these early organizations had provided, same-sex couples were now able to legally adopt in 2004. However, same-sex marriage was prohibited the same year, when the Howard Liberal Goverment excludes same-sex couples in the amendment of the Marriage Act, and it was not until 2017 when they were able to legally wed. Despite the progress made towards LGBTQ+ acceptance, the fight is still not over for the community. Homophobia is still a widely accepted value driven by conservative religious beliefs, and LGBTQ+ youth are potentially still in danger with this still existing to this day.
There are LGBTQ+ rights organizations based in Australia that you can support even as a non-citizen, especially through spreading awareness of them! These include:
Minus18, which strives to provide a safe space of expression for LGBTQ+ youth through fundraisers and other exciting events such as workshops! [https://www.minus18.org.au/]
PFLAG Australia (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), which aids the loved ones of LGBTQ+ individuals in providing a supporting environment for them, and educates them on the struggles that they wouldn’t truly understand. [https://pflagaustralia.org.au/]
ACON, which aids LGBTQ+ individuals in New South Wales dealing with HIV. Their services include counseling, HIV prevention and education, and substance support. [https://www.acon.org.au/]
More can be found on: au.reachout.com/articles/lgbtqi-support-services based on region. All of these support services can be used if you or someone that you know is not completely sure about their sexual orientation or gender or are in an unaccepting environment and need support.
Australia also really needs your help in advocating the rights of the LGBTQ+ community with petitions that you can sign! Every signature counts towards progression towards the safety of their community! Go to: https://action.allout.org/en/ in order to find a multitude of petitions pertaining to LGBTQ+ liberation in Australia and many other countries that criminalize being part of the community.
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