Federal Government’s LGBTIQA+ health initiative “weak and inadequate”
Spokesperson, Rodney Croome said,
“What we need from the Federal Government is a set of targets for improved LGBTIQA+ health, but all we have is a list of parenthood statements.”
“The associated funding of $15.5 million is woefully inadequate, especially for a ten-year plan.”
"For the plan to succeed the Government must commit to critical law and policy reforms that will improve health outcomes by reducing discrimination."
Mr Croome said the plan should include concrete targets for 2035 in areas such as how many health care workers will be trained in LGBTIQA+ inclusion, how many LGBTIQA+ people will have access to dedicated health services, how much shorter wait times will be for gender affirming care, and how much lower mental health risk will be.
“Without specific targets the plan is just a wish list with no in-built measures of success and no accountability for failure.”
Mr Croome said $15.5 million will not be enough to address the poorer health outcomes of LGBTIQA+ Australians, and the prejudice and stigma that cause these outcomes.
“If we conservatively estimate there are 1.5 million LGBTIQA+ Australians, that’s $10 each over one year which is obviously not enough to remedy decades of discrimination.”
“If the funding is for a decade, it’s $1 each per year.”
Mr Croome went on to say the action plan should also address the role of the law and policy in reducing discrimination and improving health.
“The action plan would be much more effective if it committed the Government to a range of critical law and policy reforms including stronger hate speech laws, a prohibition on discrimination in faith-based hospitals and schools, ending medically unnecessary surgeries on infants with innate variations of sex characteristics, and allowing transgender people to claim gender affirming treatments on Medicare.”
Mr Croome said the LGBTIQA+ community should demand more from the Federal Government “and not accept crumbs from the table”.
“The fact successive governments ignored our health needs does not mean we must be happy with the weak plan and inadequate funds on offer from this Government.”
“The plan and the funding should be renegotiated, preferably by a wider and more representative group of community advocates.”
Action Plan
Funding
For a copy of this statement on the web, click
hereFor more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
