The Greens are calling on the next government to appoint the first federal minister for equality as the party launches its LGBTIQA+ policy on Sunday.
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Declaring that in the last year the queer community faced discrimination and a fear-mongering campaign led by the most powerful people in the country, the party also wants an LGBTIQA+ human rights commissioner as part of its costed policy platform for making equality a priority.
Its plan includes replacing school chaplains with inclusive secular programs, addressing the crisis in housing and homelessness for queer people, and tighter anti-discrimination laws that remove existing religious exemptions.
These exemptions allow religious hospitals to refuse to employ a gay doctor, faith-based schools to sack a teacher who marries their same-gender partner, and homelessness shelters to refuse a transgender resident.
The Greens measures with the most budget impact are aimed at stabilising the health and wellbeing of the queer and HIV positive communities, such as creating a Medicare Benefits Schedule listing for HIV rapid testing.
Public servants, teachers and Defence personnel would receive inclusion training to support LGBTIQA+ communities, including when dealing with refugees who have fled persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The costed plan also includes a public awareness campaign to reduce biphobia in the community.
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At the mid-way point of the six-week federal election campaign, the Prime Minister is still backing controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves and her campaign to ban transgender sportswomen after she scrubbed her recent social media comments about transgender children that were graphic and violent.
Greens LGBTIQA+ spokeswoman Janet Rice said the government's Religious Discrimination Bill, along with Labor backing an amended version of it, was another betrayal of queer people and "actively harming queer people" while seeking to manufacture a culture war.
"LGBTIQA+ rights are non-negotiable," Senator Rice said. "Governments are supposed to serve all people. Instead, the Morrison government has been using queer people as a political football for years, and Labor has done a complete disappearing act on LGBTIQA+ rights."
The Greens are angling for voters to put them in a balance of power in parliament.
It hopes to pressure an Albanese-led government on progressive issues. Greens leader Adam Bandt has been upfront that he wants the Liberals out of power, as a point of difference from the teal independent candidates also running many of the same issues.
"Between the cruelty of Katherine Deves attacks on trans people, Morrison's cynical creation of culture wars to win back ultra-conservative voters, and Labor's deafening silence, it's never been more important to elect strong advocates for equality and LGBTIQA+ communities in parliament.
"In balance of power, the Greens will push Labor to act on the important progressive issues, and drive meaningful action on funding holistic and comprehensive health services, secure housing and safe, positive spaces in schools and other institutions for LGBTQIA+ people."
The policy launch will take place at the Victorian Pride Centre in the seat of Macnamara, where the Greens hope to secure a second lower house MP in the federal parliament. Steph Hodgins-May, who received about a quarter of the vote in the 2019 election, is again running against first-term Labor MP Josh Burns.