LGBTIQ Taskforce Justice Working Group Communique: Meeting 10 (17 June 2019)

On 17 June 2019, the LGBTIQ Justice Working Group held its tenth meeting.

The list of members, terms of reference and communiques are available

Specific matters considered

Working Group members discussed the re-introduction of amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 to remove barriers for people who seek to alter the sex recorded in their birth registration. In particular, members discussed the scope of a ‘relevant person’ who is required under the proposed amendments to provide a supporting statement for a child who wishes to alter the sex recorded in their birth registration. The person must state that they are of the opinion that the alternation of the record of the child’s sex is in the best interests of the child; and if the child is under 16, that the child has capacity to consent to the alteration of the record.

Members discussed which other groups of people should be designated as a ‘relevant person’ under the proposed reforms, other than doctors or registered psychologists. The definition of groups should be wide enough to avoid unnecessary barriers for children who wish to alter the sex recorded in their birth registration.

Members also discussed:

• the development of new legislation to prohibit conversion practices, in particular the scope of such legislation and possible enforcement mechanisms
• the review of the funding agreement templates to ensure that services funded by the government are delivered in a non-discriminatory way, in particular to LGBTIQ Victorians; and
• the progress of work to scope a service model to provide tailored and specialist legal information, education, referrals, and legal advice to LGBTIQ people in the propose Victorian Pride Centre.

Members reviewed the Working Group’s workplan 2018-19.

Members noted and discussed the recent report by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Proud, Visible, Safe: Responding to Workplace Harm Experienced by LGBTI Employees in Victoria Police.

The Working Group will next meet on Thursday 1 August 2019.