Greens’ Gabrielle De Vietri Is Victoria’s Newest Out Member Of Parliament

Greens’ Gabrielle De Vietri has become the first out queer woman to be elected to the lower house of Victoria’s Parliament. 

De Vietri, the former City of Yarra Mayor, beat Labor’s Lauren O’Dwyer to be the new member for the inner city seat of Richmond.

In her campaign statement, De Vietri had said that she would push the Government “further and faster on climate action, housing affordability, integrity in government and equality for all”.

The outgoing Parliament had two out gay MPs – Labor’s upper house member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing and MP Steve Dimopoulos. While Dimopoulos was re-elected from the seat of Oakleigh, the results for the upper house were yet to be announced at press time. Shing, Minister for Equality in the Daniel Andrews-led Labor government, was the first out lesbian MP in Victoria and was first elected to the upper house in 2014.

LGBTQI In Parliament

Labor cruised to victory in the 2022 state elections on November 26, giving Andrews a third term in government. 

“Counting is still continuing in the Victorian election, but the Andrews government has clearly been returned,”  Liam Elphick, Victorian Pride Lobby Co-Convener told Star Observer. 

The Pride Lobby had run an ‘It Takes More’ campaign to support LGBTQI candidates ahead of the state elections.  The Pride Lobby welcomed the increased representation in Parliament but added that it still did not truly reflect the state’s LGBTQI community.

“With the election of Gabrielle de Vietri in Richmond and the re-election of Steve Dimopoulos in Oakleigh, we’re thrilled that LGBTIQ+ representation in the Victorian lower house has doubled. However, doubling from one to two is not reflective of the broad LGBTIQ+ community in Victoria, and more needs to be done,” said Elphick. 

“Victoria is the LGBTIQ+ equality state, and parties and candidates need to reflect that. While Victorians have resoundingly rejected transphobia and extremism in this election, we cannot rest on our laurels. A more rainbow parliament will only be possible with more investment and support in LGBTIQ+ candidates and issues,” added Elphick. 

LGBTQI Equality Does Not Cost Votes

According to LGBTQI advocacy group Just.Equal, the victory of Andrews Labor government should be a message to the federal and other state and territory governments that coming out in support of LGBTQI equality was “not an electoral liability”. 

“We hear again and again that strong support for LGBTIQA+ equality costs votes,” said Just.Equal spokesperson Sally Goldner. 

 “Yet, the Andrews’ Government, which has passed laws against conversion practices, removed anti-LGBTIQA+ discrimination exemptions for faith-based organisations and allowed trans people to amend our birth certificates without medical intervention, has been comfortably re-elected. The message to the federal government and other state governments is clear: be like Dan Andrews, be bold on LGBTIQA+ equality,” said Goldner. 

Goldner urged the Andrews government to use the third term to implement further LGBTQI law reforms, including banning unnecessary medical intervention on children with variations of sex characteristics and following the Tasmanian example to allow people to remove gender from their certificates.