Lawmakers in the Australian state of Queensland have introduced legislation “to provide stronger protections for trans, gender diverse and intersex people.”
At the end of April the state’s discrimination laws will be changed so that LGBTQI+ claimants will be offered a host of protections shielding them from “discrimination and vilification” while “intersex people” can similarly expect to be treated differently and afforded protection.
A press release from the Queensland Human Rights Commission has set out the changes initiated by the state’s left-wing Labor government and detailing the following provisions:
Protections against gender identity discrimination and vilification have been in place since 2002 but now the law will be clearer and more inclusive. It means that:
- non-binary or gender diverse individuals will now be protected from discrimination in Queensland, aligning with many laws across Australia
- discrimination based on gender expression, including name, dress, speech, and behaviour, is not allowed.
From 29 April, ‘gender identity’ under the Anti-Discrimination Act will mean a person’s:
- internal experience of gender, regardless of the sex assigned to them at birth
- sense of their body, any modifications made to their body, and
- other expressions of their gender, like their name, dress, speech, and behaviour.
The new laws will apply from 29 April, 2024.
“Outdated language” is to be specifically targeted while “a new attribute of ‘sex characteristics’ will be added to the law to protect the intersex community from discrimination and vilification.”
Physical traits linked to a person’s claimed sex as well as their genitalia, reproductive organs, chromosomes, genes, hormones, and the changes that happen during puberty will be built into the new legislation.
Marchers seen carrying flags during the Brisbane Pride March, Queensland. Brisbane Pride has celebrated and supported the LGBTIQ+ community for over 30 years. (Joshua Prieto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
A protester holds a placard expressing his opinion while marching through the streets of Brisbane, Queensland, in solidarity with women and transgender people in the USA. (Joshua Prieto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The move follows similar legislation being introduced in other parts of the world.
As Breitbart News reported, last September California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a package of pro-LGBTQI+ legislation one day after vetoing a transgender custody bill.
Newsom said he was “committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians.”
Additionally, Newsom signed a bill into law forbidding schools from prohibiting books on LGBTQI+ topics. This means that California is set to fine schools that defy the legislation.
