PFLAG Slams WA Labor Government Over Delay In LGBT Law Reforms
Image: PFLAG Bunbury members protest outside the the office of WA Labor minister Don Punch. Image: PFLAG Bunbury
The Bunbury chapter of PFLAG protested outside the office of local Labor MLA and Minister Don Punch, over the delay in enacting laws to protect Western Australia’s LGBTQI communities from discrimination.
In 2022, WA’s Law Reform Commission recommended that amendments be made to the Equal Opportunity Act to ensure students and teachers are not expelled or sacked for being LGBTQI. The Labor government committed to introducing the legislation in the first half of 2023, but failed to do so.
In October, the government refused to commit to introducing the legislation during this term.
Equality Law
“December 10 is International Human Rights Day, and with the 2023 theme “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All”, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to visit our friends in Bunbury to call on the Labor government to honour their commitments to protect the LGBTQIA+ community,” PFLAG + Bunbury said in a statement on Facebook.
According to PFLAG, Labor had committed to banning gay “conversion practices, abolishing the Gender Reassignment Board, updating hate speech laws, and protecting students and teachers by scrapping religious exemptions that allow them to exclude, fire and expel LGBTQIA+ teachers and students.”
Promises Not Fulfilled
The organisation pointed out that none of the promises had been fulfilled.
“Over the past six years we’ve heard many promises and announcements, and seen many Labor politicians showing up to Pride events – but what we haven’t seen yet is any actual legislative change,” said PFLAG, adding, “They’ve had the time, and they have majority power in both houses, so what’s stopping them? No more excuses, Labor, it’s time to act.”
In November, LGBTQI advocacy groups held a rally outside Western Australia’s Parliament House in Perth, holding aloft banners saying: “No more excuses. Queer Rights Now’.
