Hopes long history of Nazi attacks on state’s LGBTIQA+ community will end
Equality Tasmania has welcomed the passage of an anti-Nazi law that is the best in the nation.
Equality Tasmania president, Rodney Croome, said,
“LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians have been subject to harassment from Nazi sympathisers using Nazi symbols at least since the 1970s.”
“Harassment using Nazi symbols escalated during Tasmania’s debate on decriminalising homosexuality in the 1990s, was seen in Tasmania during the marriage equality postal survey and has peaked again during recent increased attacks on trans and gender diverse people.”
“In the past, I and other Tasmanian LGBTIQA+ advocates have received swastikas in the mail together with threats and intimidation.”
“I’m hopeful we will now see an end to this kind of harassment.”
“We welcome Tasmania’s strong and comprehensive ban on Nazi symbols and thank the State Government for initiating it.”
The new law bans all Nazi symbols, including the Nazi salute.
There will be an exemption for Nazi symbols if used for genuine academic, artistic, religious, scientific, cultural, educational or law enforcement purposes; or for the purpose of opposing, or demonstrating against, fascism, Nazism or Neo-Nazism.
Mr Croome said he is confident this exemption will cover the use of the pink triangle by the LGBTIQA+ community.
Pink triangles were used to identify gay men in Nazi concentration camps and the symbol has since been appropriated by the LGBTIQA+ community to represent remembrance and empowerment.
During debate on the anti-Nazi bill, Labor’s LGBTIQA+ Equality spokesperson, Ella Haddad, asked if pink triangles would be exempt and Attorney-General, Elise Archer, confirmed they would be.
For more on Tasmania’s nation-leading laws against Nazi symbols:
For a news report on Nazi attacks in Hobart during the marriage postal survey:
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.