Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich will introduce his long awaited Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill and the Prohibition of Conversion Practices Bill into NSW Parliament on Thursday this week.
The introduction of these Bills will be the most comprehensive LGBTIQA+ reform in the state’s history and follows more than 18 months of consultation with the LGBTIQA+ community and advocacy groups.
In addition to the prohibition of conversion practices, the legislation also involves a range of reforms including making it a domestic violence offence to ‘out’ or threaten to ‘out’ an LGBTIQA+ partner; provides a process for parentage rights for children born out of overseas commercial surrogacy arrangement; removes an exemption that allows private schools to discriminate against LGBTIQA+ teachers and students; completes the decriminalisation of sex work; ensures trans people have options in body searches to preserve their privacy and dignity; and replaces the current requirement for a person to have a surgical procedure to alter their state record of sex with affirming documentation.
Announcing the news, Alex Greenwich said he is grateful to the LGBTIQA+ community for helping to shape the legislation, which will be the most comprehensive reform process in the history of the state.
“NSW is essentially last in the country when it comes to LGBTIQA+ rights. To change that this bill amends over 20 acts and creates the new prohibition on conversion practices act,” Greenwich said.
“LGBTIQA+ people exist in NSW and the law should recognise and protect us, not judge and discriminate against us.
“For me this bill is very personal, I can be elected to Parliament but fired from a school for being in a same-sex marriage, and my community can legally be discriminated against throughout NSW laws, and it’s time that changed.
Mr Greenwich thanked his parliamentary colleagues for agreeing to fast track the introduction of the Equality Bill to this Thursday.
“I’m grateful that the legislative assembly has acknowledged the importance of this legislation by fast tracking the introduction to this Thursday.”
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Thanks Lexa