In 2019 the ACT Government launched its first Capital of Equality Strategy that outlined a long-term vision for Canberra to be the most LGBTIQ+ welcoming and inclusive city in Australia. Achieving this means that LGBTIQ+ people, their families and communities are visible, valued, respected.
The Capital of Equality Strategy is implemented through action plans. The First Action Plan (2019-2021) laid a solid foundation to continue improving services and eliminate disadvantage, discrimination, and marginalisation for LGBTIQ+ Canberrans. The Second Action Plan, released on 31 March 2022, builds on achievements to date and outlines actions to improve the wellbeing and circumstances of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans between now and the end of 2023.
Here is a snapshot of achievements since 2019:
- We banned harmful sexuality and gender identity conversion practices. The Sexuality and Gender Identity Conversion Practices Act 2020 came into effect on 4 March 2021.
- We amended the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 to improve processes for changing birth registration and birth certificates for trans and gender diverse young people. The Births Death and Marriages Amendment Act 2020 came into effect on 20 August 2021.
- We worked with the intersex community to develop a plan to prohibit deferrable medical interventions, and funded an Intersex Project Officer position at A Gender Agenda.
- We invested in LGBTIQ+ support systems for Canberra’s schools including the Safe and Inclusive Schools initiative.
- We funded specialist, peer-led and community-controlled services, such as Meridian and A Gender Agenda, to provide life-saving psychosocial and peer supports to LGBTIQ+ Canberrans.
- Through the Capital of Equality Grants Program, we provided $300,000 to over 30 innovative initiatives that gave LGBTIQ+ Canberrans opportunities for connection, belonging and community.
- We funded research to better understand the lived experiences of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans and barriers to equality. The ACT Health Directorate completed a scoping study to identify the barriers to accessing health services for LGBTIQ+ Canberrans.
- We invested in the ACT component of the Writing Themselves In 4 study conducted by researchers at La Trobe University. We now have comprehensive information about the health and wellbeing of 300 young sexuality and gender diverse Canberrans.
The Second Action Plan includes five flagship actions:
Artist: Alistair Ott
Since 2019, we have supported 30 local community projects through the Capital of Equality Grants Program providing $300,000 in funding. These projects included a range of activities such as community and cultural events, inclusive sports, research, capacity building and many others. 30 per cent of all allocated funds specifically supported local projects led by LGBTIQ+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQ+ culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The Program allows a range of LGBTIQ+ led organisations and passionate individuals to create projects, opportunities, events, and resources that enrich the lives of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans and their allies. In the Second Action Plan we are supporting vibrant LGBTIQ+ communities in Canberra to thrive through the funding available under the Program. In response to what we heard from community, priority will be given to projects that build the capacity of diverse community groups including but not limited to those led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ peoples, LGBTIQ+ people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people from culturally and linguistically diverse, migrant or refugee backgrounds, older LGBTIQ+ people and others.
Artist: Libby McArdle
As a part of the First Action Plan, the ACT Health Directorate completed an LGBTIQ+ Health Scoping Study to identify the gaps, opportunities and barriers to access for health services for LGBTIQ+ people.
The LGBTIQ + Health Scoping Study identified a range of barriers to accessing gender-affirming health services in the ACT. Some of the experiences that LGBTIQ+ Canberrans shared in the Study were:
- When asked if LGBTIQ+ specific health needs were being met in the ACT, 36% of participants said no;
- 45% found affordability a barrier to accessing health services; and
- 49% found availability a barrier to accessing health services.
Trans and gender diverse Canberrans were more likely to have faced these barriers. The Study also found that many trans and gender diverse Canberrans cannot access specialist services in the ACT and are required to travel interstate and overseas in some cases to get access to gender-affirming healthcare.
To address these barriers and ensure timely access to gender-focused healthcare, in the Second Action Plan the ACT Health Directorate will work with NGOs and LGBTIQ+ stakeholders to co-design a gender focused health service informed by lived experience and previous work produced by community organisations.
Artist: Gaby Niemeyer
As part of the First Action Plan, the ACT Government committed to collaborating with intersex people, human rights organisations and healthcare professionals to develop a plan to protect the human rights of intersex people in medical settings. This work is in recognition of the Darlington Statement and calls by the intersex community to prohibit deferrable medical interventions. Over the past two years, the ACT Government has embarked on a major project with human rights and legal experts, and both intersex people and healthcare specialists, to design important protections for intersex people in medical settings. These important protections will be implemented through this Plan.
This proposed approach has two core components. Firstly, a regulatory framework that will ensure people with intersex variations are not subject to deferrable medical interventions without their informed consent. This will include professional oversight of medical decisions in situations where an intersex person is too young or unable to provide their own informed consent. Secondly, improvements to services to increase the availability and quality of care for intersex people and their families, especially when making healthcare decisions.
In 2022, the draft legislation outlining the proposed approach will be subject to community consultation, while developments continue on care pathways for psychosocial and peer support and training for health professionals. This will mean the ACT Government can ensure that intersex Canberrans have access to high-quality healthcare that respects their bodily integrity and upholds their right to make their own decisions about medical intervention.
Artist: Xiao Niu
In 2019 the ACT Government commissioned Equality Australia to undertake a legal audit of ACT legislation to ensure that all people, including trans, gender diverse, queer and intersex people, have equal legal status and recognition under ACT law. The audit identified several areas where ACT laws could be updated to better protect LGBTIQ+ people's human rights, remove discriminatory provisions, accurately reflect contemporary understandings, and ensure that ACT laws do not have a harmful impact on the community.
As a part of the implementation of the audit's recommendations, some additional reforms under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 are planned. This includes upholding the autonomy and self-determination of trans and gender diverse Canberrans by improving the process for registering a change of sex, and updating the sex and gender descriptions used with the ‘x marker’ to ensure that options available are in line with current best practice. We will also review the use of the term 'intersex' in the Legislation Act 2001 and consider how to amend this definition and other uses of the term 'intersex' in ACT laws. This will ensure it is used appropriately and is inclusive of all people born with variations in sex characteristics.
Artist: Alexander Sarsfield
Effective policies rely on accurate population data. The ACT Government is committed to improving the collection and sharing of gender, sex, and sexual orientation data through the:
- Second Action Plan 2020-22 of the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26
- Capital of Equality Strategy
- Parliamentary and Governing Agreement of the 10th ACT Legislative Assembly.
The Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables Data – Common Dataset (DOC 197KB) uses existing guidance, including the 2020 ABS Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, to:
- set common definitions and variables
- create a framework that is suitable for the ACT context.
It applies to data collected in internal government systems and used in community-facing government service delivery including health services.
The Common Dataset will improve the ACT Government’s ability to:
- track the wellbeing of population groups through the ACT Government Wellbeing framework
- develop public policy
- plan services for the LGBTIQ+ community.