Gay Tasmanian Senator Josh Dolega Speaks to LGBTQ+ Youth in Historic Maiden Speech
Image: MICK TSIKAS/AAP
Tasmanian Labor Senator Josh Dolega has delivered a heartfelt maiden speech in parliament, using his national platform to speak directly to LGBTQIA+ youth, and celebrate Tasmania’s transformation from a state of criminalisation to a leader in equality.
“It’s not lost upon me — the sense of responsibility of being Labor’s first openly gay senator for Tasmania,” Dolega said in his address to the Senate on Wednesday. “I hope me being here today can give hope to young queer people that you, too, can come to this great place.”
“But, more importantly, I hope you know that you’re already seen, you’re understood and you are represented. I acknowledge other LGBTQI+ MPs and senators and the contributions that they have made to progress for our community.”
“As a young person I experienced some tough times for being who I am. There were some dangerous times when I was faced with violence and hatred. There were times when I wondered if I’d ever find someone to love and to love me back. I don’t bring all this up as a sign of weakness but to give a sense of hope and as a shining light to young queer people.
“If you are going through a tough time, if you’re wondering if someone will love you, if you’re wondering if things will get better, I want you to know that, yes, you can find love and that you are loved and that things will be okay. Find your safety net and latch on to what makes you happy.”
Dolega, who is Tasmania’s first openly gay federal Labor representative, described the state’s journey from having “the worst laws in the country” for LGBTQIA+ people to “the best” — crediting generations of grassroots activism and community determination for that change.
“My state was the last to decriminalise homosexuality and the only state to criminalise cross-dressing. And it’s hard to imagine, in this time where RuPaul’s Drag Race is an international phenomenon, that such laws ever existed,” he told Parliament.
“Tasmania has come very far. We have the most progressive and inclusive discrimination, hate speech, relationship and gender-recognition laws, and I pay tribute to my Labor colleagues and activists who have worked so hard to change Tasmania and Australia for the better.”
He also tied his lived experience to broader themes of justice and equality, referencing his childhood growing up in public housing with parents working multiple jobs to provide for him and his brother, as well as his background in the union movement.
“The union movement is a family. Members are the union. They are the heart of their union, and it was an honour to serve. In Hobart, at the CPSU, I had four extremely close comrades. We helped each other every day to carry the often heavy hearts and emotions of our members and the delegates who were doing it tough, whether it was an issue affecting one person or many.
You can read Senator Dolega’s full speech here.
Community orgs and activists praise Dolega for inspiring words to LGBTQ+ community
LGBTQIA+ advocates have welcomed Senator Dolega’s speech as a powerful and hopeful moment for the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly LGBTQIA+ youth, in Tasmania.
Equality Tasmania said the address would inspire others in the community to pursue public life.
“We congratulate Senator Dolega on a speech that is sure to inspire other LGBTIQA+ people to follow him into public life,” said long-time activist and Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome.
“His speech was upfront about the challenges he faced as a young gay Tasmanian, but also sent the message that real change is possible.”
Croome praised the “warmth, hope and sincerity” of Dolega’s words, adding that the speech served as a “reminder that love, not hate, defines who we are as LGBTIQA+ people”.
“We look forward to working closely with Senator Dolega to foster greater inclusion and acceptance for LGBTIQA+ Australians.”
Dolega’s speech comes amid a climate of rising anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments— both across Australia and globally — across issues including trans inclusion and erasure, religious discrimination laws, restricted healthcare access, and rising mental health concerns among queer youth.
His maiden speech was a message of lived experience, and genuine empathy and solidarity for the queer community that struck a vitally hopeful chord — not just for Tasmania, but for the entire country.
