New voice for LGBTI rights in Queensland
Queensland has a new voice in the fight for LGBTI rights, with several high-profile members of the community and the ALP joining forces to create Queenslanders for Equality.
The group was launched in Brisbane at the weekend to counter what they consider to be a new era of conservatism in the state.
They said they were combining their voices “to see lost rights restored” with the intention of achieving full legal and socially equal lives for LGBTI people in Queensland.
Among those gathered at New Farm Park on Sunday were Labor Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, Labor MP Jackie Trad, PFLAG’s Shelley Argent, psychologist Paul Martin, lawyer Stephen Page, farmer and lobbyist David Graham, Australian Marriage Equality convernor Alex Greenwich and Rev. Ray Richmond from the West End Uniting Church.
“The eyes of the nation are on Queensland,” Greenwich said.
“Australians from coast to coast are concerned that rights are being repealed from a contributing part of the Queensland community.
“The challenge for the Newman Government is to treat gay and lesbian Queenslanders as equal citizens. They pay taxes, they contribute to the community and they shouldn’t have to face the prospect of having further rights taken away from them.”
National Party member Dave Graham said he believes the government is contradicting its core values by denying rights that are associated with conservative values of “strengthening the family”.
“Legislation empowers us to be who we really are and to be able to tell my husband that he’s my husband, to walk in my own community as a married couple, is essential for us,” Graham said.
Recently flagged changes to surrogacy laws by the LNP government will be one of the group’s primary concerns.
Family lawyer Stephen Page said the changes that seek to exclude gay and lesbian people from becoming parents was an example of the government “playing God”.
