Our Priorities.
WA LGBTIQA+ Community Priorities Survey Report 2025
Rainbow Futures WA surveyed almost 600 WA LGBTIQA+ community members and allies online between May and August 2024 to determine what is important to them. Participants overwhelmingly reiterated the importance of law reform and that government services are still in desperate need of improvement.
This survey is the second priorities survey conducted by Rainbow Futures WA. Our 2020 survey identified these same issues, which we concluded could only be addressed by a comprehensive whole-of-government approach. This is outlined in our 2020 Priorities. Since then, huge strides have been made toward legislative change and work has progressed on a WA LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy.
Our 2025 Priorities Document, based findings in the 2025 Survey Report, will be released soon.
In 2024, Rainbow Futures WA proposed a ‘whole of government’ approach to policy making, including a state government “rainbow portfolio” to advance LGBTIQA+ issues, consisting of a Minister, a department, and an advisory group. We highlighted that resourcing the sector as part of this was vital to support change and good policy outcomes.
In response to our proposal, the government provided core funding to Living Proud, Transfolk WA, and GRAI. Rainbow Futures WA was also funded as the WA LGBTIQA+ peak body.
Led by Minister Beazley, the Department of Communities allocated resources to develop a WA LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy. With support from a community reference group co-chaired by Rainbow Futures WA, the strategy will be completed in 2025 and be accompanied by an action plan.
Find out more about the Inclusion Strategy here:
WA has some of the worst anti-vilification laws in the country, and currently LGBTIQA+ people have no state or federal protections against hate speech.
The Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) has not been updated since 1984. Reforms should introduce (civil) vilification laws, provide anti-discrimination protections in religious schools, and protect trans and gender diverse individuals regardless of formal gender recognition.
EOA reforms will have benefits beyond the LGBTIQA+ community, such as removing the outdated “disadvantage test” for sexual harassment and adding protections for family and domestic violence victims.
The Labor government committed to reforming the EOA and broadly accepted the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission. Legislation is expected in the first half of 2025.
Rainbow Futures WA and Ending Conversion Practices WA are advocating for conversion practices legislation focused on a survivor-centred, trauma-informed approach that both prevents further harm and ensures survivors receive redress and support.
Conversion practices are still legal in WA
Promised since 2022, WA Labor has committed to introducing legislation encompassing both criminal and civil schemes before the end of 2025 and have begun consultation with stakeholders.
You can read more details about this legislation in our summary proposal, which was developed in response to government consultation in 2024.
After years of community advocacy, a Bill was introduced in 2024 to remove the requirement for trans people to undergo treatment or seek Board approval to update gender on ID documents. It also recognised non-binary people for the first time.
The 2024 reform was a positive step forward, but it falls short of best practice. Trans people must still obtain clinical approval instead of self-declaration, and those under 18 require parental consent or a court order despite a younger age requirement in other states.
Healthcare
Trans and gender-diverse healthcare is under attack in Australia as it is internationally too. We’ve seen a review into gender affirming care for young people in QLD (and a federal review in response). Fundamental rights to healthcare cannot be a political football. Read our statement here.
Intersex babies and children are often subjected to unnecessary irreversible medical procedures that modify sex characteristics. The next state government must act to defend the right to bodily integrity of intersex people.
Following Rainbow Futures WA’s Petition No. 68 to progress LGBTIQA+ reform in WA, the Health Minister questioned the need to explore this issue based on a lack of “robust evidence” and was unable to commit to further legislative change. This is despite extensive evidence to support calls for reform. We continue to work towards change in this are as one of our advocacy priorities in this term of government.
Men and non-binary people are excluded from accessing surrogacy in WA, and there are unnecessary barriers to egg sharing between partners. It is time to fix many issues that prevent LGBTIQA+ people and others with a genuine need from accessing Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and surrogacy.
Initially promised for 2024, WA Labor have delayed reforms to the first half of 2025. This includes better access to surrogacy and other changes to make assisted reproductive laws fairer for LGBTIQA+ families (e.g. enabling reciprocal egg sharing)
The LGBTIQA+ community faces discrimination across sectors, including housing, employment, and healthcare. Religious exemptions allowing discrimination against LGBTIQA+ individuals (such as in schools) need to be repealed, and anti-discrimination laws should be expanded to explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.
LGBTIQA+ individuals, particularly those over 30, face significant challenges in finding safe and supportive housing, with many reporting discrimination. Specific programs need to be created to address housing needs for older LGBTIQA+ individuals.