Northern Territory Passes Sweeping Anti-Discrimination Law To Ban Discrimination Against LGBT Persons
Image: Image: Facebook
The Northern Territory Parliament passed new anti-discrimination legislation early Wednesday morning, making it the first major reform of the legislation in 30 years.
The bill, which passed 15 – 9, amends the Northern Territory’s Anti-Discrimination Act.
Protections Based on Sexuality, Personal Attributes, and Religious Beliefs
Called the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2022, it prevents religious groups and organisations from discriminating against a person based on their sexuality, personal attributes, and religious beliefs.
The bill also protects sex workers against discrimination as well.
In an interview with ABC, Rainbow Territory spokesperson Ahmad Syahir Mohd Soffi celebrated the bill’s passage, saying, “With the passing of the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2022 today, LGBTQI+ Territorians employed in religious schools can go to work knowing that they can no longer be discriminated against because of their sexuality.
“Everyone deserves to live free of discrimination. This legislation means that no workplace, including religious schools and organisations, can discriminate against LGBTQI+ Territorians.”
In a statement, Equality Australia Legal Director Ghassan Kassisieh said, “This step to modernise the Northern Territory’s anti-discrimination laws for the 21st century follows other states and territories which have passed similar reforms.”
He went on to say, “These clear protections are important in the particular context of the Northern Territory where a religious school may be the only one operating in the area and where diverse religious beliefs, including First Nations spirituality, are part of the fabric of many lives.”
“Our laws should protect all of us, equally. LGBTIQ+ Territorians now have greater protections from discrimination, no matter where they work, study or access services,” Kassisieh said.
Sex Work Protections For The First Time
Jules Kim, CEO of Scarlet Alliance, a Sex worker advocacy group welcomed the reform, saying, “We have explicit protections now, for the first time.”
Kim continued, “Not only does it send an important message that discrimination is unacceptable — it also means when we experience it, that we have an avenue to get it addressed.”
Religious groups, however, were not too pleased with the passage of the reform, with protests taking place outside the Parliament.
According to Chowdhury Sadaruddin, chairman of the Islamic Council of the NT, “It should have been left to the authority of the schools, rather than putting it into the Anti-Discrimination Act and making it more complicated, because we can be prosecuted for unnecessary reasons.”
The new legislation will come into effect in 2023.
The legislative changes were proposed In July in order to ban religious institutions from refusing to hire or sacking staff from being LGBTQI.
