LGBTIQ Taskforce Justice Working Group Communique: meeting 7 (21 February 2019)

On 21 February 2019, the LGBTIQ Justice Working Group held its seventh meeting.

The list of members, terms of reference and communiqués are available.

Specific matters considered

Representatives from Corrections Victoria attended to provide an update on the ongoing implementation of the Commissioner’s Requirements for the management of Trans, Gender Diverse or Intersex Prisoners (the Commissioner’s Requirements), which were finalised in June 2017. The Commissioner’s Requirements were developed in close collaboration between the Working Group and Corrections Victoria.

Transgender Victoria (TGV) is providing Trans and Gender Diverse training to Corrections Victoria staff. The training supports the implementation of the Commissioner’s Requirements, and to date TGV have provided training to more than 200 people across the corrections system. The Working Group and Corrections Victoria will periodically review the Commissioner’s Requirements and monitor its implementation to identify and address any gaps.

Following on from previous discussions about priorities for the Working Group, members confirmed the program of reforms they wish the Government to pursue over the next two years. These are to:

• re-introduce amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 (the BDMR Act) to remove barriers for people who wish to change the sex on their birth registration. Previous such amendments were defeated in Parliament in 2016. Members identified the introduction and implementation of these reforms in 2019, as a top priority. Members endorsed the re-introduction of the 2016 reforms, without any policy changes.
• introduce reforms to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to improve protections from discrimination on the basis of religion for members of LGBTIQ communities.
• introduce new legislation to prohibit conversion practices, in line with a commitment made by the Victorian Government.

The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages also attended the meeting to provide members with an update on key developments at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM), including the recent implementation of an online system for the delivery of BDM services.

The Working Group will next meet on 18 March 2019.