The Greens celebrate Parliament passing legislation to expunge the records of people criminalised for being homosexual or crossdressing, and to provide redress for the harms caused by those unfair laws.
The initial amendment to provide redress was introduced by the Greens, acting on the work of Rodney Croome from Equality Tasmania and others in the LGBTIQA+ community, to provide justice. This is a nation leading reform.
Simply being yourself, and loving who you love, should never have been a crime in Tasmania. Laws that criminalised homosexuality and crossdressing were cruel and discriminatory. They stoked widespread prejudice and stigma against LGBTIQA+ people.
The application of these unjust laws had painful consequences for LGBTIQA+ people. People had to hide their true selves from family and friends, their workplaces and in public. The mental health consequences were tragic.
The Greens have been advocating for the rights of LGBTIQA+ people for decades. The expungement of historical crimes and redress for the harms these caused are an important step towards justice, equality and healing.
There is still more work to be done to ensure safety and inclusion for LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians. These include banning practices that seek to ‘convert’ sexual orientation and gender identity, and protection against hate crimes. The Greens are committed to continuing to fight for these changes.
