Advocacy

Ending Conversion Practices in WA - Summary Proposal

In late 2024, the WA Government contacted Rainbow Futures WA and several other LGBTIQA+ organisations, to advise on legislative reform on ending conversion practices in WA. Rainbow Futures WA worked with Ending Conversion Practices WA to put together a proposal which has been endorsed by our member organisations. Our focus was on making sure the Government knows that for conversion practices legislation to be effective, it must focus on a survivor-centred, trauma-informed approach that both prevents further harm and ensures survivors receive redress.

Read our summary proposal here.

Campaign: Prioritise LGBTIQA+ Law Reform in WA

The WA Government has made many commitments but almost no action on LGBTIQA+ law reform. In WA, religious schools still hold a licence to discriminate , conversion practices remain legal, trans and gender diverse people still face barriers to legally update their gender, surrogacy laws make altruistic surrogacy unavailable to people who are not women or heterosexual couples and intersex babies and children continue to be subjected to deferrable medical interventions without their personal informed consent. This campaign calls on people in WA to contact their local MP to call for LGBTIQA+ law reform now!

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LGBTIQA+ Priorities Survey

This survey is RFWA’s second ever priorities survey. Our first survey (2020) captured over 300 LGBTIQA+ and ally perspectives about the issues they think are important. We used this information to create a WA LGBTIQA+ Priorities document and have been using it to lobby for LGBTIQA+ law reform for over three years. We are seeing some change which is exciting, but not enough. If you are an LGBTIQA+ person, ally, family member or friend in WA – please let us know what is important to the LGBTIQA+ community in WA. We want to make sure our advocacy continues to reflect what is important to you. Your voice matters in shaping the future of LGBTIQA+ rights and protections in WA.
This survey is closes 11:59pm 17 July 2024.

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The Rainbow Portfolio: A Whole of Government Approach

In 2023, Rainbow Futures WA put together a proposal for a whole-of-government approach to LGBTIQA+ issues in WA based on our LGBTIQA+ community informed priorities report. This proposal was sent to government and led to an invitation to meet with WA Premier Roger Cook in October 2023, and the announcement of $900,000 in funding, the first ever WA LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy and the development of a peak body, in February 2024. We are excited to continue this work in collaboration with community and LGBTIQA+ organisations.

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Campaign: Gender Recognition Now (call to action complete)

At Perth Fairday on Sunday 12 November 2023, Rainbow Futures WA, TransFolk of WA and Equality Australia launched the Gender Recognition Now Campaign. In line with the Proposal for Gender Recognition Reform in WA, the Campaign calls on the WA government to follow through on their commitment to abolish the Gender Reassignment Board (GRB), ensure legal gender affirmation is in line with modern understandings of gender diversity and consent for minors, make legal gender affirmation a simple, affordable, administrative process that replaces the focus on medical evidence with a focus on self-identification, and bring WA in line with most other states.

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Proposal for Gender Recognition Reform in WA

In 2022, RFWA, TransFolk WA and gender recognition activits put together a proposal for gender recognition and birth certificate reform in WA. The proposal calls for scrapping the Gender Reassignment Board, shifting focus from medical to self-identification, increasing gender options, and simplifying the administrative process to change your birth certificate.
In January 2023, RFWA and TransFolk of WA surveyed almost 300 trans and gender diverse West Australians about the proposal (provided in original and easy read format). Responses indicated 89% agreement. In May 2023, the Gender Recognition Reform in WA proposal was sent to the Attorney General’s office. We have confirmed that the proposal is being used to guide the drafting of legislation, however we do not know how much of the proposal will be implemented, or when new legislation will be released.

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Legislative Council Petition (Petition No. 68)

In October 2022, RFWA ran a petition calling for major changes in government policies affecting LGBTIQA+ communities. We called for 1) a timely update to the Equal Opportunity Act in consultation with community, to ensure appropriate antidiscrimination protections for LGBTIQA+ people, 2) gender recognition and birth certificate reform, 3) banning conversion practices, 4) expanding surrogacy access to all people, 5) ending deferrable medical interventions on infants and kids with innate variations of sex charactistics without their personal informed consent, and 6) a whole of government approach. Three thousand people added their voice to our calls. The Legislative Council finalised its consideration of the petition in August 2023, with commitment to five of the six issues raised. There remains no commitment to ending deferrable medical interventions on people with innate variations of sex characteristics without personal informed consent.

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Joint Statement with Albany Pride against bigotry and hate
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Joint Statement to WA Government to reject Cass Review
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AHRC Submission: Current and Emerging Threats to TGD Human Rights
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Priorities document
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2021 election community survey
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2021 election political survey
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