CALL TO ADOPT TASMANIAN MODEL
Tasmanian gay rights advocates say they are not impressed with a Federal Government proposal to include protections from anti-gay discrimination in the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act and have called on the Government to adopt “the Tasmanian model”.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,
“The Sex Discrimination Act is almost thirty years old and is so full of religious exemptions that it will do little to prevent anti-gay discrimination.”
“If anything, bigots will see this as a license to discriminate even more than they do now.”
“I urge the Federal Government to adopt the Tasmanian model in which religious organisations have to seek time-limited exemptions from the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner if they want to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) people.”
“This model is considered the best in Australia and was recommended by the recent Senate inquiry into federal anti-discrimination law.”
Mr Croome went on to say that relegating anti-gay discrimination to the Sex Discrimination Act is a slap in the face to the GLBTI community.
“Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity is one of the most serious forms of prejudice facing Australia today.”
“To effectively make it a subset of sex discrimination sends exactly the wrong message that it doesn’t matter as much as other forms of discrimination.”
Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Rodney Croome
