Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Policy

Principles

The Greens NSW:

1. Uphold and defend the dignity and humanity of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people;

2. Do not tolerate a person being harassed, abused, vilified, stigmatised, discriminated against, disadvantaged or exploited because they are, or are perceived to be, intersex, transgender, bisexual, gay, or lesbian;

3. Will protect the civil liberties, human rights and democratic freedoms of all people including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; and

4. Acknowledge the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, their special needs as a disadvantaged community, the strength and durability of their aspirations and their unique and valuable contribution to society.

Goals

The Greens NSW will work towards:

5. Fulfilment of the above principles through change in three broad but related areas:

• 5.1 The law;

• 5.2 Government policy; and

• 5.3 Community attitudes.

Detail

The Greens NSW will work towards:

Representation and Consultation

6. Formal and regular LGBTI community liaison by relevant Government agencies;

7. LGBTI community representation on relevant Government advisory and consultative committees;

8. The establishment of an adequately funded State Office for the status of LGBTI people;

Criminal Law and the Judiciary

9. A complete review of the NSW Crimes Act to remove all sections that prescribe different penalties for homosexuals compared to heterosexuals;

10. Overturning laws that remove LGBTI people and issues from public life, including inappropriate censorship laws;

11. Enacting laws to prevent the use of a non-violent homosexual advance as a basis for the defence of 'provocation' in cases of violent crime;

12. The true status of transgender people being assessed before appropriation to men's or women's prison;

Protection from Discrimination and Vilification

13. Amending existing state anti-discrimination and anti-vilification legislation;

14. Supporting the narrowing or elimination of exemptions currently provided in the Anti-Discrimination Act;

15. Support the extension of existing anti-discrimination legislation to include bisexuality and intersex status;

16. Initiating education programs to inform the community;

Workplace Reform

17. An immediate review of all industrial agreements and awards, as well as agency agreements and departmental policies;

18. The development education and training programs directed at homophobia in the workplace;

19. The removal of discriminatory provisions in State Government employee superannuation schemes;

20. The development of policies and programs aimed at ensuring equal opportunity all in private and public employment;

Relationship Equality

21. All relationships being recognised as equal under the law;

22. The legal recognition of same sex and transgendered relationships through the passage of Civil Union and Same-Sex Marriage Acts;

23. The legal recognition of same sex and transgendered relationships through the amendment of the NSW De facto Relationships Act or the amendment of other relevant existing legislation;

Parenting and Families

24. LGBTI people being given equality of access to adoption and fostering procedures;

25. Measures to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in child custody cases;

26. Equal access to artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation procedures, regardless of sex and sexuality;

Policing and Anti-violence

27. Training at all levels for police in LGBTI issues;

28. Greater funding for community-based anti-violence campaigns;

29. Statistics on hate-motivated crime against LGBTI people being maintained by the relevant agencies and regularly made public;

Education and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Youth

30. The provision of factual and affirming materials about sexual orientation, transgender and intersex conditions at all levels of the education system;

31. The facilitation of peer support groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students;

32. The mandatory development and implementation of anti-homophobia policies and practices in all schools;

33. The mandatory establishment of adequate grievance procedures for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students;

34. The development of services to support and protect LGBTI youth, in particular suicide prevention programs, counselling and peer support programs;

35. Maintaining equality of the age of consent for consensual homosexual acts;

Health and Welfare Services

36. The provision of telephone and face-to-face counselling services across NSW;

37. The provision of accommodation services and projects to meet the needs of homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth and adults, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people with physical and intellectual disabilities, and older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people;

38. Development of anti-violence projects to reduce hate-based violence and to support and advocate for the victims of such violence;

39. General health, sexual health and drug and alcohol services, including health clinics;

40. The establishment of services to address the health needs of lesbians including safe sex and issues such as cervical and breast cancer;

41. Training all health care professionals and resourcing all health services to ensure that the professionals and services are sensitive to, and can cater for the needs of their LGBTI clients;

42. Developing an improved State Government commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, including better funding of HIV/AIDS services, a renewed focus on HIV prevention amongst gay men, greater provision of public housing, and enhanced measures to address HIV-related poverty;

43. Recognition of the specific health needs for transgender and intersex people and the equity issue of access to public health services;

Cultural and Community Services

44. State and local government support for LGBTI cultural and community festivals, events and other programs;

45. Developing work for greater recognition of, and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender tourism;

46. The development of LGBTI media throughout NSW;

Training and Research

47. The inclusion of LGBTI issues in the training of health and welfare workers, educators and teachers, staff in government departments who have contact with the public, and law enforcement officers;

48. The provision of adequate funding for research into lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex cultural, community, social, health and welfare issues;

Recognising Diversity

49. The addition of intersex, other and N/A to male and female descriptions of a person's sex;

50. The recognition of the needs and circumstances of LGBTI people within special groups, including youth, indigenous Australians, people of non-English speaking backgrounds, people with disabilities, the aged, people in rural and remote areas, people in prison and asylum seekers;

Gender

51. Full funding of necessary medical treatment for gender assignment and re-assignment services;

52. Gender assignment for people with an intersex condition being made only when they have reached the legal age to give their informed consent; and

Federal Issues

53.    Similar reforms at a federal level where appropriate.

Follow this link for The Greens NSW Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Policy Summary.