Queer Liberation Boorloo (QLB) called for a protest on August 11 to urge the Western Australian Government to support community-led changes to gender recognition reforms.
Speakers at the Trans Rights: Get it Right protest in Northbridge included representatives from parents, families and friends of lesbian and gay people, and Pride WA.
Activists called on the Labour Party to support self-identification, extend these rights to young adults aged 16 and over, and allow people to choose their own gender.
They also want loopholes in anti-discrimination laws to be closed.
“The bill will abolish the Gender Board,” said QLB activist Nova Sobieralski, “but in every other respect it is one of the most conservative gender recognition bills in Australia.”
Alex Wallace, also from QLB, said: “These changes are simple. They are community-led and community-driven. This is not about politics… This is about doing the right thing for the trans and gender diverse community in Western Australia.”
Intersex and transgender activist Del expressed concern about the government’s earlier proposal to include the term “intersex/unspecified” alongside “male”, “female” and “non-binary”.
Intersex advocates oppose the inclusion of the “intersex” marker because it confuses sex and gender. Del believes that gender should be removed from identity documents entirely.
Nat Latter of Rainbow Futures WA (RFWA) said: “I don’t know what it will take to get the government to listen… But I do know that the more united we are as a community, the harder it is for them to ignore us.”
The RFWA has been advocating for these reforms for nearly a decade.
Kate Salinger from PFLAG also highlighted the importance of solidarity between oppressed groups. Michael Felix, representing Pride WA, spoke about building support within the LGBTIQ movement.
From August 13, the Legislative Council will debate the Labor Party’s gender recognition reforms.
