Media Release
Thursday May 5th 2022
 
PARTIES ASKED TO RESPOND TO MOST PRESSING LGBTIQA+ ISSUES 
SURVEY SHOWS RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS / SCHOOL SAFETY AMONG TOP PRIORITIES
 
Just.Equal Australia has sent its election priorities survey to the major political parties.
 
The national LGBTIQA+ lobby and advocacy group has conducted surveys of the LGBTIQA+ community to determine its election priorities since the group formed in 2016.
 
This year's survey found the most pressing issues include:
 
  • removing exemptions allowing faith-based organisations to discriminate against LGBTIQA+ staff, students and clients
  • improving LGBTIQA+ school safety and inclusion
  • establishing LGBTIQA+ policy groups in relevant government agencies
  • a national LGBTIQA+mental health strategy
  • LGBTIQA+ inclusion in the Census 
  • removal of the gay, bi and trans blood ban
 
Dr Sharon Dane, who designed and implemented the 2022 election survey, said,
 
"Short of relevant questions in the Census, it's not possible to survey the entire LGBTIQA+ community."
 
"However, our multi-mode recruitment strategy and the resulting demographic distribution of the sample indicate that the responses to the survey represent a diverse sample of LGBTIQA+ Australians." 
 
Just.Equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,
 
"We have sent the survey to all major political parties asking them to commit to the priorities identified by LGBTIQA+ survey participants."
 
"We will release their responses closer to the election."
 
The survey used a ranking technique that allows respondents to identify their highest priority among several options.
 
It also shows what are the highest priorities for groups within the LGBTIQA+ community.
 
For example,
 
  • an LGBTIQA+ aged care strategy was identified as a top priority among LGBTIQA+ seniors
  • a homelessness strategy was the top priority for young LGBTIQA+ respondents
  • trans and gender diverse respondents, who made up 13.7% of the survey sample, said their top priority was Medicare funding for gender transition
  • intersex respondents (1.1%) identified a legislative prohibition on non-consenting deferrable medical interventions as the top priority
  • the top priority for bisexual respondents was a national public edication campaign
  • asexual and aromantic respondents want inclusive sex education in schools
 
Respondents with a disability identified training for disability workers in LGBTIQA+ issues as one of their top priorities.
 
A copy of the report is attached.
 
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
 
For more information contact Dr Sharon Dane on 0403 895 268 or Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.