NSW anti-discrimination law: will proposed changes help or harm LGB people?

The NSW Law Reform Commission is reviewing the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Some of their proposed changes would help strengthen protections for LGB individuals - for example, recognising discrimination on grounds of bisexuality.

However, other proposed changes raise grave concerns for us, including proposals to remove explicit protection for homosexuality, replace the protected category of sex with 'gender identity', and introduce new measures to outlaw expressions of 'hostility, contempt or ridicule' against members of protected cohorts.

LGB Alliance Australia is deeply aware of the distressing impact that discrimination, vilification and harassment has on our community. We do not wish to lose existing protections; nor do we wish to see the introduction of new measures which, in practice, will likely be used to harass, intimidate and silence LGB individuals who speak about the reality and importance of biological sex to our own lives.

Read our full submission here.