Advocates call for permanent laws against anti-LGBTI vilification
Image: Sydney's rally for marriage equality. Image: Ann-Marie Calilhanna.
LGBTI advocates have questioned why a new law protecting the community from vilification is only applicable during the marriage equality postal survey.
Legislation was passed this week outlawing hate speech during the survey, Out in Perth has reported.
Advocates are asking MPs why these protections are not applied permanently.
“Federally we have permanent, national anti–hate speech laws for race and religion only, yet clearly there is a need for permanent laws to include sexuality and gender identity,” said Brian Greig of just.equal.
Greig said permanent laws at the state level to protect LGBTI people from hate speech exist only in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
“This means LGBTI people in [other] states are especially vulnerable to hate speech and look to the Commonwealth for national laws to address this,” he said.
He said he feared anti-LGBTI sentiment stirred up by the marriage equality debate could last for years to come.
“Just.equal calls on the Commonwealth to cement a national law to prevent vilification against LGBTI people, not simply a temporary one that will be thrown away after the postal survey,” said Greig.
