A Mandate For Equality: Harriet Shing Is The LGBTQI Voice In Cabinet

In June 2022, Harriet Shing, Victoria’s first out lesbian member of Parliament, was sworn in as the new Minister for Equality. 

The appointment, along with that of her fellow Labor MP Steve Dimopolous as Minister for Creative Industries – the state’s first out gay front benchers –  came just four months after Victoria celebrated Melbourne Pride in February 2022 to mark the fortieth anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

“It is a long way from being the victims of discrimination under the law,” Shing, who is also the state’s first Cabinet member of Chinese Australian background, tells Star Observer in an interview over the phone. 

“It’s actually a profound honor to be able to take the voices and the experiences of LGBTQI people into the cabinet, and be part of the work to ensure that our lived experiences and our stories are told – not just to have the hurt, pain, distress and injury of previous government decisions and discrimination acknowledged but also to make sure we can celebrate our pride  in a world that doesn’t always accept us exactly as we are,” says Shing

‘Be Visible As A Gay Woman’

When she was first elected to the upper house of Victoria’s Parliament in 2014, Shing says, she made a promise to be herself and be “authentic”. 

“This is why it’s important for me to not just to be visible as a gay woman but also to talk about how it’s not always easy to practise pride and that pride is not something that you can find particularly in environments that are discriminatory or prejudiced”. 

In Parliament, Shing has been open about her own coming out experience and the homophobia she faced.  “We have to tell our stories. We owe it to ourselves and we all owe it to the people who love us. We owe it to the other members of our communities and it’s also about acknowledging the experiences of those people who aren’t with us any longer.” 

Shing’s time in Parliament has coincided with the passing of major LGBTQI law reforms by the Premier Daniel Andrews led Labor government. 

In 2016, Victoria became the first government in the world to apologise to the LGBTQI community for historical convictions under laws that criminalised homosexuality. 

Pirde Is For Everyone

The government also amended the law to allow gay adoptions, passed changes to Births, Deaths and Marriages certificate legislation to make it easier for trans persons to change the sex marker in their birth certificates, amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act to protect LGBTQI students in religious schools, a “world leading” law banning conversion practices and setting up the country’s first community hub, the Victorian Pride Centre 

“We’ve worked really hard to deliver. When the Premier (Andrews) says that equality is not negotiable, these are not just words, we have absolutely demonstrated it in our actions,” says Shing.

Ahead of the state elections in November, the Labor government has announced $6.5 million to develop Victoria’s first LGBTQI strategy and investments to tackle LGBTQI homelessness. Building on the success of the Melbourne Pride in 2022, the Andrews government has announced a new, annual state-wide LGBTQI festival called Victoria’s Pride. “We want Pride to be for everyone,” explains Shing. 

No To Divisive Politics

At the other end of the political spectrum, the Liberal party has dug deeper into divisive politics and culture wars. Australia sent a clear message during the 2022 federal elections against candidates like Katherine Deves, who are known to spout anti-trans rhetoric. That hasn’t stopped the Liberals in Victoria from preselecting an anti-trans candidate and a candidate with links to a conservative church that has in the past supported gay conversion practices. 

“The failure of leaders to condemn discriminatory, homophobic and in particular transphobic views of candidates says more about that party’s leadership than anything else,” says Shing.

“No matter what they say about pride and supporting LGBTQI people, the refusal to condemn homophobic, transphobic and deeply distressing commentary confirms that they will never support LGBTQI people in a way that is consistent, properly resourced or genuine”. 

Shing doesn’t hold back and points to the Liberal party’s voting record in the Victorian Parliament, where it opposed many of Andrews government’s progressive policies, including trying to delay the ban on conversion practices and opposing laws to protect LGBTQI students and staff from discrimination in religious schools. 

“These are the actions of a political party that does not have any real regard for the lived experience of LGBTQI people. It’s so important that we make sure that our progressive reforms are not unravelled or damaged. And we as communities, get the support that we need, not just in Melbourne, and not just within one part of our communities, but across the entire state.” 

Monkeypox Cases On The Minister’s Radar

Here’s Where You Can Get The Monkeypox Vaccine In Australia From August 8

The Minister’s immediate concerns are however a fast developing health crisis – the rising number of monkeypox cases in Victoria. The current multi-country outbreak of monkeypox has been predominantly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. 

“Viruses do not discriminate, and bitter experience tells us that stigma arising from fear and misinformation can cause untold damage and distress,” says Shing. 

“Countless LGBTIQ+ people have experienced enormous grief and pain – their avoidable victimisation has led to lasting injury and trauma. It’s crucial that public discussion does not re-inflict trauma of the past, and that conversations and messaging about public health are considered, effective and respectful,” adds Shing.