VIC Parliamentary Inquiry Told Rising Online Hate Fuelling Attacks On LGBTQIA+ People
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A parliamentary inquiry into hate crimes toward LGBTQIA+ people, established by the Greens, has heard what witnesses described as damning evidence linking the rise of the so-called “manosphere”, alongside racism and other harmful trends in public and political discourse, to recent violent attacks on LGBTQIA+ people.
The Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-LGBTIQA+ Hate Crimes hearing was told of a troubling pattern of assaults on gay and bisexual men, in which victims were allegedly lured to public locations via fake online dating profiles before being violently attacked.
Further testimony from victims and LGBTQIA+ stakeholders pointed to an intersection of racism, misogyny and anti-queer hostility, with claims that international students have in some cases been specifically targeted by perpetrators.
Experts also raised concerns about political rhetoric around concepts such as “monoculture”, arguing that hate groups are increasingly fixating on visible differences from rigid ideological worldviews and treating those differences as targets for violence.
Aiv Puglielli, Greens spokesperson for LGBTQIA+ Equality, said the evidence presented was damning and demonstrated that attitudes perpetuated by political actors such as One Nation were contributing to the conditions in which these attacks were occurring.
“What political leaders say matters. The fact that the kind of rhetoric used by One Nation may be helping fuel these attacks is not surprising, but it must be called out and condemned.
“The Greens brought this inquiry to the Parliament because if these ideas aren’t confronted, then we normalise hate towards LGBTQIA+ people. Then it’s multicultural communities. Then it’s disabled people. And anyone ‘different’ becomes a target.
“Enough. We need to get to the root of this, and stamp out this hate.”
Parliamentary inquiry into LGBTQIA+ hate “absolutely vital”
Professor Adam Bourne from La Trobe University appeared at the inquiry, and told Star Observer that it was “absolutely vital”.
“The last 2 years have seen appalling acts of violence impacting gay and bisexual men in the context of dating apps. But it is essential to see this within the broader context of violence, abuse and harassment experienced all across the LGBTIQA+ communities,” he explained.
“Far too often, LGBTIQA+ people are made to feel unsafe and I hope to see this Inquiry make recommendations that enhance prevention, victim support and response so that we tackle this hate head on.”
Since June 2024, Victoria Police have identified 95 alleged attacks targeting gay and bisexual men across the state, resulting in 42 arrests, according to evidence given to an inquiry on Wednesday (24 June) by Chad Hughes, chief executive of Thorne Harbour Health.
Hughes, whose organisation provides LGBTIQ+ health services, told the inquiry he believes the “true number” of incidents is likely significantly higher.
He said many victims are reluctant to report attacks to police, citing ongoing mistrust as a key barrier to coming forward.
At a recent community forum convened by Thorne Harbour Health, Hughes said 12 men had come forward describing violent assaults after arranging meetings through dating apps.
Only two of those cases were reported to police, with “one of them regretting that”, Hughes said.
Hughes told the inquiry the attacks were “deliberate and humiliating”, adding that victims were allegedly coerced into repeating slurs on camera, with footage then circulated online.
According to Hughes, the material is shared to boost the perpetrators’ status within online “manosphere” communities.
The Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-LGBTIQA+ Hate Crimes continues today. You can watch it live on the Victorian Parliament website.
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