Our Equality Team has put together a submission on the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related Bills.
Rainbow Families acknowledges the need for all people to be protected from discrimination based on their age, gender identity, sexuality, race cultural heritage or religion. Rainbow Families holds significant concerns over the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related Bills and the impact this legislation will have on our families and the broader community.
We also accept that there is concern amongst some in the community over religious discrimination and freedoms. However, protection of these rights should not come at the expense of other human rights. We believe this proposed legislative package would grant a license for our families to be discriminated against across many facets of their lives. We do not support this legislation in its proposed form.
We all want our children to grow up in communities that support and value them. Our communities include faith and religious communities. Rainbow Families are as diverse as every other Australian family. Because of our diversity there are endless possibilities where discriminatory comments could impact our access to health care, education, goods or services in our day to day lives.
1. Our children should not be discriminated against because of who they are, how they were created or what kind of family they come from
2. A health service of any description receiving government funding should not discriminate based on a person’s sexuality, gender diversity, family structure or relationship status.
3. Any educational institution of any description receiving government funding should not discriminate based on a person’s sexuality, gender diversity, family structure or relationship status.
As lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender or gender diverse, non-binary community members, we should not be discriminated against based on our sex, gender identity, sexuality, relationship status or marital status.