ABS Issues Statement Of Regret To LGBT Australians Over 2021 Census

The Australian Bureau of Statistics issued a historic ‘Statement of Regret’ to the country’s LGBTQI communities for invisibilising and excluding them in the 2021 Census. 

This was in response to discrimination complaints filed before the Australian Human Rights Commission by April Long and advocacy group Equality Australia that the 2021 Census “failed to ask meaningful questions to properly count members of the LGBTQIA+ community”.

Following conciliation proceedings, ABS agreed to issue a statement of regret. 

LGBTQI Communities Were Excluded In 2021 Census

“The ABS recognises the importance of these issues and regrets any distress experienced by members of the LGBTIQ+ community when responding to the 2021 Census and earlier Censuses. The ABS recognises that some members of the LGBTIQ+ community experienced hurt, stress, anguish and other negative reactions to some Census questions,” the organisation said. 

The ABS acknowledged that the absence of questions on gender identity, variations of sex characteristics or sexual orientation “meant that they felt invisible and excluded” and the framing of questions was “seen or experienced by some as hurtful, confusing, demeaning and discriminatory”.

AHRC President Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher welcomed the resolution of the discrimination complaint. “Not only does it help ensure that every person in this country is rightfully seen and counted, but it also showcases how the Commission’s conciliation process can provide affordable access to justice and affect meaningful, systemic change,” Croucher said in a statement. 

2026 Census

The ABS has shortlisted topics of sexual orientation, gender identity and variations of sex characteristics for the 2026 Census and invited public submissions before sending its recommendations to the federal government. The ABS said it was committed to setting up an LGBTIQ+ Expert Advisory Committee for the 2026 Census. 

“The 2021 census left my family uncounted, my partner and I excluded as parents, and our son’s family invisible,” Long said in a statement.  

“Every individual, parent, child and family deserves to be counted. I look forward to the 2026 census when we can finally tell our son how many kids like him have two mums.” 

Anthony Albanese Government Can Right The Wrongs

According to Equality Australia, “LGBTIQ+ people who were single, trans and gender diverse, intersex or living in notionally heterosexual relationships were not counted because the Census did not include questions on gender identity, sexual orientation and variations in sex characteristics, with some questions also failing to reflect the diversity of LGBTIQ+ families.”

Equality Australia’s Legal Director Ghassan Kassisieh expressed hope that the Anthony Albanese government would seize the opportunity to ensure LGBTQI communities are counted in the 2026 Census. 

“Some of us are couples but we are not just couples. Some of us are parents but we’re not all mothers and fathers. Not all of us have a straightforward relationship with the sex ascribed to us at birth,” Kassisieh said, adding, “The Federal Government has an opportunity to reflect the real diversity of the Australian community in 2026 and gather crucial information about the kinds of services all our communities need.”