A great deal remains to be achieved in the area of equal rights for gay men and lesbians.
The decriminalisation of homosexuality in Victoria in the early 1980s was a major step towards equal rights, opportunities and a freely visible lifestyle for gay men and lesbians. Yet it took 15 years to secure limited anti-discrimination protection. It was not until 1995 that anti-discrimination protection was achieved, and then only under the unsatisfactory grounds of “lawful sexual activity”.
We need your help to Lobby now.
The following is a list of practical things that you can do to make your voice heard.
Politicians
The most obvious way to lobby is to directly contact politicians. Find out more here>>
Media
Another way to raise GLBTIQ issues is through the “mainstream” media, including writing letters to the editor or calling talkback radio. Click here to find out more>>
Direct action
Finally, sometimes there is nothing more effective (or liberating for that matter) than ‘taking it to the streets’ and engaging in public protest. Direct action is occasionally organised by community organisations (such as the VGLRL), or queer university groups, and announced in the queer media. However, if you think that an issue deserves public attention, and don’t think that enough is being done now, then there is nothing stopping you from organising something yourself.
Tip: Be sure you know your legal rights when taking part in direct action.
Contact Your Local Member
The most obvious way to lobby is to directly contact politicians.
Federal
Your first point of contact may often be your local Member of Parliament.
If you do not know who they are, you can find out at the Parliament House ( http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mi-elctr.asp) or Australian Electoral Commission ( http://www.aec.gov.au) websites.
As well as writing them an email or letter, you can also ask to meet with them to discuss the issue involved – after all, they’re your representative.
You could also contact senior Government Ministers, including:
NAME: Kevin Rudd
POSITION: Prime Minister
PHONE: (02) 6277 7700
EMAIL:http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm
POSTAL: PO Box
476A Morningside Qld 4170
NAME: Robert McClelland
POSITION: Attorney-General
PHONE: (02) 6277 7300
EMAIL: R.McClelland.MP@aph.gov.au
POSTAL:
PO Box 861 Hurstville NSW 2220
NAME: Joel Fitzgibbon
POSITION: Defence Minister
PHONE: (02) 6277 7800
EMAIL: J.Fitzgibbon.MP@aph.gov.au
POSTAL: PO Box 526 Cessnock NSW 2325
NAME: Julia
Gillard
POSITION:Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
PHONE:
(02) 6277 7320
EMAIL: Julia.Gillard.MP@aph.gov.au
POSTAL:
PO Locked Bag 14 Werribee Vic 3030
Equally, you may wish to contact Opposition members:
And the minor parties often have better GLBTIQ policies. Following are the Human Rights/Sexuality spokespeople for the minor parties:
- Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Australian Democrats Ph (02) 6277 3200 or email senator.stottdespoja@aph.gov.au
- Senator Kerry Nettle, Australian Greens Ph (02) 6277 3501 or email senator.nettle@aph.gov.au
State:
Once again, your local member may be your first point of contact.
You can find out who your local member is, and their contact details, at the Victorian Parliament ( http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au) or Victorian Electoral Commission ( http://www.vec.vic.gov.au) websites.
You may also wish to contact current Government leaders including:
- The Premier, the Hon. John Brumby MP Ph: 03 9651 5000 or email john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au
- The Attorney-General, the Hon. Rob Hulls MP Ph: 03 9651 0552 or email rob.hulls@parliament.vic.gov.au
And you could contact these Opposition members:
- Leader of the Opposition, Mr Ted Baillieu MLA Ph: 03 9651 8512 or email ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au
- Opposition Spokesman on Attorney-General’s Portfolio, Mr Andrew McIntosh MLA Ph: 03 9853 2999 or email andrew.mcintosh@parliament.vic.gov.au
Tip: If you are writing to a politician, here are some ‘handy hints’:
-
- Generally, try to keep it to one or two pages in length.
- Make it personal – explain how the decision or policy affects you
- Be passionate but not abusive (abusive letters are unlikely to get a reply)
- Make sure you provide your contact details, including postal address.
Parliamentary Inquiries:
Federal and State Parliaments sometimes hold inquiries into issues that may affect you.
To find out what inquiries are current, and how to make a submission, you can visit the Federal ( http://www.aph.gov.au) or State ( http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au) Parliament websites.
Victorian Law Reform Commission:
The VLRC also sometimes examines issues that affect GLBTIQ people.
For example, the VLRC has recently looked at the law relating to access to assisted reproductive technology and adoption. To find out what is going on, and how to make a submission, you can visit http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au or contact the Commission directly via Ph: 03 8619 8619 or email law.reform@lawreform.vic.gov.au .
Contact The Press
Another way to raise our issues is through the media, including writing letters to the editor or calling talkback radio.
Print Press
You can send Letters to the Editor:
- The Age. E-mail: letters@theage.com.au
- The Herald Sun: hsletters@heraldsun.com.au
- The Australian: letters@theaustralian.com.au
Tip: When writing to a newspaper, the following points may assist you:
-
- Follow their instructions (particularly regarding word limits)
- Include your address and day/night telephone numbers
- Your letter is also more likely to be published if it relates to a current news item, or is a response to an earlier letter.
Talkback Radio:
Melbourne has two main talkback radio stations:
- 3AW. Call 03 9243 2000
- 774 ABC. Call 1300 222 774
Tip: When calling talkback radio:
-
- Be well-prepared, including anticipating counter-arguments
- Don’t respond to provocation BUT do always stick to your argument.
Talk within our Community.
You can often raise awareness of your issues just by talking to your friends and family. And, if you get them onside, they might even help you to lobby others as well.
And often it can be productive to lobby within the queer or GLBTI community itself.
This is because different people may have different levels of knowledge or understanding about the issues involved.
By constructively engaging other people on issues, the whole community’s understanding can be improved. There are many ways of going about this, including: engaging with the local queer media by contacting:
- MCV at www.mcv.net.au or email editor@mcv.net.au
- B.newS at www.bnews.net.au or email doug@bnews.net.au
- Joy Melbourne 94.9FM at www.joy.org.au
Tip: Remember, not everyone has the same level of knowledge or understanding as you. Other people may also hold valid opinions that are contrary to your own. So, be tolerant and respectful when dealing with others in the community.
Get Further Involved.
Get involved in community groups like the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and make your voice heard>>
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