Law Reform Institute to review South Australian discriminatory legislation
THE South Australian Government recently announced plans to review legislative and regulatory discrimination against individuals and families on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or intersex status.
With the help of the South Australian Law Reform Institute, the recommendations that come from the review would aim to remove any remaining discrimination towards the state’s LGBTI community.
Environment Minister Ian Hunter, South Australia’s only openly-gay state parliamentarian, some of the existing legislation continues to see individuals and families suffer as a result.
“Some couples are still unable to adopt, access surrogacy and assisted reproductive treatment, and have their parentage formally recognised,” he said.
South Australia Labor Senator Penny Wong echoed Hunter’s sentiments and showed her support for the upcoming reviewal.
“Good to see the stand against discrimination against LGBTI South Australians and their families announced by the SA Government today,” she said.
“SA has a proud history of progressive social reform — we granted women the vote in 1894 and decriminalised homosexuality in 1975.
“But in recent years we have fallen behind. SA now lags most of the other states on issues like access to IVF and adoption for same-sex families.”
Wong also encouraged people “who care about equality for all families” to take advantage of the chance to have their say in the review.
Law Society of South Australia president Rocco Perrotta also welcomed the review, and believed the institute selected to undergo it was appropriate.
“Equality before the law is essential to the protection and maintenance of human rights and it is because of this reason that the Law Society would welcome a review to ensure that our laws do not undermine the principle of equality before the law,” he said.
For more information, visit www.equalfamiliessa.com
South Australia was once the leader in LGBTI rights back in 1975 – now they are behind the rest of the other states within Australia!
South Australia Legislation that discriminates is in 4 areas:
1. IVF access for single women and lesbians is banned in SA (the only place in Australia to have this ban);
2. Same-sex couples can still not adopt children in SA (NT and QLD also have these bans – Victoria will soon abolish this ban and the SA Government is “reviewing” the ban);
3. Surrogacy for same-sex couples is banned in SA (WA is the only other state in Australia to have a surrogacy ban); and
4. Gay Panic Defence is still allowed within SA common law (QLD is the only other state within Australia to allow this too)