Ahead of Saturday’s state election, Equality Tasmania has released a summary of the LGBTIQA+ commitments from the three main Tasmanian parties (below).

Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“All three parties have made commitments to funding for LGBTIQA+ services.”

“They also oppose bans on drag story time and LGBTIQA+ books, and oppose an inquiry into life-saving treatments for young trans and gender diverse people.”

“Labor and the Greens have gone further by committing to an LGBTIQA+ commissioner, financial redress for those convicted under our former anti-LGBTIQA+ laws, an LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Act, an LGBTIQA+ mental health service, better hate crime laws and a ban on unnecessary surgeries on intersex kids.”

“All three parties have an in-principle commitment to banning conversion practices but the Liberal’s bill unveiled last year is so full of exemptions it fails to fulfill that commitment.”

Mr Croome said there are more openly LGBTIQA+ candidates in this state election than ever before.

They include Labor’s Ben Dudman in Lyons, Stuart Benson in Clark and Toby Thorpe in Franklin, the Greens Damien Briggs in Braddon, Lauren Ball in Bass and Jade Darko in Franklin, and independents like Martine Delaney in Franklin.

“Tasmania has not had an openly-LGBTIQA+ state or federal MP since 2021. Hopefully, that drought will end on Saturday.”

A copy of the summary is attached. For responses to Equality Tasmania’s survey from parties and independents go to: https://equalitytasmania.org.au/election2024/

An article about the parties’ commitments is attached. 

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.