IDAHOBIT Day 2022

As Australians head to the polls during an election campaign fraught with transphobia, a recent survey shows that a considerable number of LGBTIQ+ people and ...

The survey found that 74.9% of non-LGBTIQ+ respondents said these issues were important or very important to them, with especially strong support for removing religious exemptions in anti-discrimination laws and ending conversion practices and medical intervention on intersex people without personal consent. Brown sees in this data a clear indication that “the wider LGBTIQ+ community stands with intersex people who are still subject to unnecessary medical procedures to change their sex characteristics without their personal consent. The survey recognises that the needs and priorities of the LGBTIQ+ community are far from homogenous, yet different parts of the broad range of communities stand in solidarity with each other when considering how these issues may impact their vote. Importantly, for politicians hoping to win the votes of LGBTIQ+ people in their electorates, the survey made clear that issues of importance for these communities turn into real votes. Using a sample of 5,578 LGBTIQ+ people living in Australia, the report estimates that a third of LGBTIQ+ voters are currently undecided or considering changing their vote in the current election. More than 90% of LGBTIQ+ respondents say LGBTIQ+ issues are important in determining their vote.