Wednesday, 9th March 2022
The SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA) has today released its 2022 SA Election LGBTIQA+ Policy Scorecard to hold political leaders to account and provide a strong plan for the advancement of LGBTIQA+ rights and wellbeing in South Australia.
As a community that has long experienced erasure and invisibility in political decision-making, being heard and considered by political leaders is crucial to LGBTIQA+ communities. SARAA’s Policy and Project Officer, Kelly Vincent, says this year’s scorecard represents a pivotal moment in LGBTIQA+ advocacy.
“LGBTIQA+ people across Australia are still reeling from the recent debate on the federal Religious Discrimination Bill,” said Kelly.
“At a time when our very right to access essential services without discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity is up for debate, it is especially vital that we keep political candidates accountable and keep our communities informed about who is willing to stand with us,” Kelly said.
While election promises don’t always translate into action after the campaign dust has settled, Kelly Vincent said the results are largely promising.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see all parties commit to improving the representation of LGBTIQA+ people in government policies,” Kelly said.
“It is not uncommon for our needs to not be mentioned in policy at all unless the policy is LGBTIQA+-specific. But we are taxpayers and human beings and our needs and wants are as valid as anyone else’s. We need to be seen and guaranteed equal protection under the law in all policy areas from jobs, to healthcare, to education.” said Kelly.
The 2022 State Election SARAA scorecard outlines parties’ stance on a number of issues that LGBTIQA+ South Australians and their allies said matter to them, based on a survey of over 600 people.
The key policy demands covered by the scorecard include:
- Ban conversion practices in health & community settings
- Close loopholes in anti-discrimination laws that allow discrimination by faith-based institutions
- LGBTIQA+ inclusion in education systems
- LGBTIQA+ inclusive health and community service provision
- Improve LGBTIQA+ representation in government strategies
- Count LGBTIQA+ identities properly in data and statistics
- Improve access to gender-affirming healthcare
- End medically unnecessary treatments on intersex people without their personal consent.
- It is clear that many areas still need stronger commitments from all parties, especially policies relating to improving LGBTIQA+ inclusion in health, education and community services, providing improved access to gender-affirming healthcare and strengthening anti-discrimination protections.
SARAA looks forward to working with whoever forms government to continue building an LGBTIQA+ healthy, safe and inclusive South Australia.
You can access the scorecard, policy responses from political parties, and other information related to SARAA’s election work at www.saraa.org.au/2022-sa-election.
