Page 3942 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 September 2017
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The practical steps this government has already taken to promote a more inclusive Canberra are extensive. For every group that I mentioned, we have started the rollout of new programs, resources and events to provide support where it is needed and to promote an inclusive community. I have listed some of these initiatives in the motion before the Assembly today. I am proud to say that there are too many for me to mention now, and I trust that my colleagues will help me in providing particulars for the many different initiatives that are underway across Canberra. For my part, I would like to focus on how gender and sexual orientation can lead to social exclusion and what the ACT government is doing to bring an end to this senseless discrimination and support those who are made to suffer because of it.
Our LGBTIQ comrades are at particular risk of social exclusion due to their gender identity and sexual orientation. A 2013 report from beyondblue found that the mental health of the LGBTIQ community is among the poorest in Australia. They are shockingly over-represented in statistics for major depressive episodes, levels of psychological distress, anxiety disorders and generally poor mental health. Young LGBTIQ people in particular are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. Tragically, our LGBTIQ friends and family are 14 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts. And it breaks my heart that up to 50 per cent of trans people have actually attempted suicide at least once in their lives.
It is easy to get lost in the statistics or get caught up in irrelevant moral debates about sexual orientation and lose sight of the fact that these are our brothers, our sisters, our mums and dads, our daughters and our sons. They are living under the heavy weight of discrimination, isolation, mental health issues, and, much too frequently, they are taking their own lives. Let us be clear: it is not the state of being LGBTIQ itself that is causing these issues. It is the actions and the words of those who undermine, disrespect, criticise and condemn the LGBTIQ community who create this pain.
The ACT government will not stand by and watch our LGBTIQ friends suffer. We will step up, shout out and link arms to build the most welcoming city in Australia for LGBTIQ people. The ACT government has established the office for LGBTIQ affairs in the Chief Minister’s portfolio to focus on the specific needs of the LGBTIQ community. The office will receive nearly $1.4 million over four years to help counter the scourge of discrimination against LGBTIQ people. The office will promote inclusive events and work across government to ensure that services meet the needs of LGBTIQ people in the community. For the young Canberra woman who might be starting to wonder about her sexuality and is nervous about whether she will be accepted, being able to access services that meet her needs, and knowing that she is welcome in her city, can make a world of difference.
We have also committed $500,000 to provide additional support to A Gender Agenda to support the intersex, transgender and gender diverse community’s access to services and to address barriers to participation in the broader community. A Gender Agenda is a community organisation working towards a world where intersex, transgender and gender diverse people live without fear or discrimination. They are actively engaged in the Canberra community, providing support, education and
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