by NAZIYA ALVI RAHMAN – THE NSW Parliament has further expanded creeping LGBTQ privileges at the risk of harming vulnerable children.
The Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 was passed on Thursday, marking a further expansion of queer rights.
- Creepy Bill will open the floodgates to sexual confusion and legal chaos.
- Radical Leftist Liberal MP Felicity Wilson crossed the floor in support.
- Changes stand in stark contrast to recent international developments.
First introduced by independent gay MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich, the bill passed the upper house with a margin of 15 votes to 12 after extensive negotiations with the NSW Labor Government.
After the vote, Mr Greenwich embraced government members in a show of celebration for the legislation’s approval.
SURGERY
A key aspect of the amended legislation is allowing transgender individuals to change their registered sex on birth certificates without undergoing transitioning surgery.
The bill also introduces “non-binary” as a recognised gender option for birth certificates.
NSW was the only jurisdiction in Australia to still have surgery as a requirement for transgender people to update their official documents to reflect their gender.
In addition to this, prejudice against transgender, gender-diverse, or intersex individuals will now be an aggravating factor in criminal sentencing.
The bill has faced both criticism and praise.
Equality Australia’s Chief Executive Anna Brown said the new laws would have no impact on the lives of most people, but for a small number of people it would make their lives immeasurably better.
“NSW is no longer the only place in Australia to require surgery on reproductive organs in order for people to access ID documents that recognise them for who they are,” she said.
“The old system had meant trans people had to outline their gender status when applying for jobs, getting a mortgage, or registering for school or university.”
Meanwhile CEO of Women’s Forum Australia Rachael Wong raised concerns the laws could impact vulnerable children.
CONFUSED
“Those opposed to self-ID laws are deeply concerned that such laws facilitate social transition, which in turn encourages gender-confused individuals – particularly vulnerable children and young people – down a path of harmful medical transition including irreversible life-changing surgery,” she said.
The passing of the bill was not without controversy with many MPs echoing similar concerns as Ms Wong.
Liberal MP Tanya Davies said the self-ID laws could be exploited.
“For example, in Victoria, a biological male rapist who self-identifies as a woman is being housed in the female Dame Phyllis Frost Correctional Centre,” she said.
“In Victoria’s Tarrengower Women’s Prison, an alleged sexual assault has already taken place by a male prisoner against a female inmate.
“In schools, there are increasing complaints arising from parents whose daughters have been forced to share female-only sporting events and bathrooms with boys.”
Upper House MP Rachel Merton said it would open the floodgates to “confusion and legal chaos”.
“If sex can be changed at the stroke of a pen, we undermine the very concept of biological truth and fairness,” she said.
“The consequences will ripple across society, from education, where children are taught that sex is changeable, to law enforcement, where violent offenders could potentially exploit this legislation for access to spaces they should never enter.”
Radical Liberal MP for North Shore Felicity Wilson notably crossed the floor in support of the bill, despite her Party’s opposition.
CONSCIENCE
“Just because your Party doesn’t have a conscience vote doesn’t mean you don’t have a conscience,” she said.
Mr Greenwich responded to these criticisms by accusing the opposition of using the LGBTQ community as a “political football”, especially in light of the Liberal-National Coalition’s denial of a conscience vote on the matter.
Labor Attorney General Michael Daley defended the bill, emphasising that it reflects the views of the broader community and is part of an ongoing effort to make NSW a more inclusive place.
NSW joins other Australian States such as Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, which have implemented similar reforms allowing transgender people to amend their birth certificates without requiring surgery.
Internationally, these changes stand in contrast to recent developments in the UK, where Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill was vetoed by the UK Government.PC
