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Alastair Lawrie

@alastairlawrie.bsky.social

800 followers 380 following 760 posts

Director, Policy & Advocacy at the Justice and Equity Centre. LGBTIQ+ advocate and writer: https://alastairlawrie.net Views own. He/him. Living on Dharawal land (Wollongong).

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · Apr 7

New from me: My article 'Déjà vu for LGBTQ students and teachers in religious schools' has been published in the Australian Journal of Human Rights.
#auslaw 1/
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Déjà vu for LGBTQ students and teachers in religious schools

Successive Australian Governments have promised to protect LGBTQ people in religious schools against discrimination, only to break those promises. This includes the Albanese Government, despite the...

www.tandfonline.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 18h

The NT Government is importing culture wars, and putting the safety and welfare of trans women prisoners at serious risk, by announcing they will send trans women to men's prisons. #auslaw #trans #transphobia
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit...

www.theaustralian.com.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 19h

Rather than an advertising bitz, it would be great if the Albanese Govt could explain what, if anything, they are going to do to support young LGBTIQ+ people who they will be cutting off from community, connection & information? #auspol

CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 21h

The Albanese Government is kicking off a national TV campaign to " prepare Australians for the Albanese Government’s world leading social media minimum age laws."

In addition, the eSafety Commissioner has flagged her office will be releasing more resources this week

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 20h

And so responsibility for addressing this issue sits where it has since May 2022: with the Albanese Govt.

A Govt that promised to reform the Sex Discrimination Act prior to that election.

And even referred the question of 'how' to the ALRC.

But then turned its back on LGBTQ+ kids and workers. 4/

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 20h

All of which simply confirms what we already knew - that the Coalition, whether under Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton or now Sussan Ley, is not going to support amendments to ensure LGBTQ+ students & teachers in religious schools can finally learn and teach free from the fear of discrimination. 3/

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 20h

Despite having a gay daughter himself - who was the reason Wallace cited for supporting LGBTIQ+ marriage, albeit while also seeking amendments to allow additional discrimination against LGBTIQ+ couples - it seems the Shadow AG does not support inclusive education. 2/
www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12...

'I couldn't believe it was happening to us': Liberal MP on daughter's sexuality

Andrew Wallace struggled to support same-sex marriage as a practising Catholic, but says he changed his views drastically when his daughter revealed she was gay. He shared her story in Parliament toda...

www.abc.net.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 20h

New Cth Shadow Attorney-General Andrew Wallace spoke in Parliament last year against the sensible and straight-forward recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission to remove the ability of religious schools to discriminate. #auslaw #auspol 🧵1/

Mr WALLACE (Fisher) (13:30): Like many members in this place, I have spoken with constituents and faith communities who are concerned about the Australian Law Reform Commission's latest inquiry into religious educational institutions and antidiscrimination. The consultation paper essentially recommends a curtailment to the right of faith based schools to hire staff who share their religious ethos. We should be very proud in this place of our secular school system and those teachers and staff who make our schools as great as they are, but faith based schools also deliver a vital service: offering parents the freedom to decide how, and in accordance with which particular faith, their children are taught. Governments should nurture that freedom; they shouldn't curtail it. Society should nourish faith and freedom as a cause for celebration, not condemnation. I would encourage anyone listening to this speech: if you're concerned about these proposals, contact your members, contact senators in your states from across the political aisle, and make your voice heard.

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 20h

“Practices like ‘gay conversion’ therapy, which is properly called sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts, even though that is illegal … I have grave concerns it’s still happening because, according to them, the govt of God is higher”: Heath-McIvor.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Liberal MP’s sister says father’s church is a ‘cult’ where ‘gay conversion’ practices may still be happening

City Builders pastor’s daughter tells Victorian parliamentary inquiry into cults of ‘grave concerns’ about church

www.theguardian.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

Exactly zero surprise that the Albanese Government's social media ban will have a disproportionately negative impact on young LGBTQ+ people - and that they don't appear to have done anything to even attempt to reduce these harms. #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

LGBTQIA+ advocates say social media ban will 'cut off' regional queer teens

LGBTIQA+ advocates are concerned the social media ban will have a significant impact on queer youth in regional and remote areas of Australia. They say there are not enough offline, physical supports ...

www.abc.net.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

yeah, there's no need to read the link. it's just you're run-of-the-mill, ignorant terf-talking point garbage.

Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

LGBTQ+ kids and workers in religious schools agree (although in that case he capitulated to Tories *and* religious fundamentalists).

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

"The federal government's ongoing review of the Disability Discrimination Act should consider whether legislating a positive duty … could help eliminate ongoing rideshare refusals of people with assistance animals," Mr Skipsey said. #auslaw
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Independence 'chipped away' by Uber driver refusals, guide dog handler says

Sarah Maculans says she was refused rides by four Uber drivers within a week due to her guide dog, Sunny.

www.abc.net.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

With this follow-up piece in today's paper too.

Oh, and also for the record, the transphobic 'Women's Forum Australia' is definitely not 'Australia's peak women's rights body'. Far from it.
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/no-mo...

www.theaustralian.com.au

Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 1d

The Australian continues to stir up hatred against trans & gender diverse people, by focusing on a trans prisoner who has allegedly committed sexual assaults.

For the record, prisons should aim to prevent sexual assaults irrespective of gender identity.
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/i-was...

www.theaustralian.com.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 4d

Meanwhile, for as long as the Labor Govt refuses to appoint a dedicated, stand-alone LGBTIQA+ Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, they are effectively saying homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and anti-intersex prejudice are not as serious as other forms of discrimination. 3/

Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 4d

The Labor Govt broke their 2022 election promise to protect LGBTQ+ students & teachers in religious schools, & voluntarily handed a veto on this issue to the Coalition, who already showed they have zero interest in passing laws of this kind.

Meaning vulnerable LGBTQ+ kids & workers are screwed. 2/

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 4d

Two good questions from Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson Nick McKim at Attorney-General's Dept Estimates on Tuesday.

And of course, there are no good answers to either, because the Labor Govt's position on both lacks principle.
#auslaw #auspol #estimates 🧵1/3

Senator McKIM: Faith based discrimination. In all states and territories, laws currently protect LGBTQI+
students, staff and clients from discrimination in faith based schools and services. Last year, the Australian Law
Reform Commission recommended similar protections at a national level. The government, in my view, quite
bizarrely and unreasonably claimed that it needed bipartisan support before moving forward with such a
protection at a national level, even though anyone observing the parliament knows the numbers would be there to
pass such protections at a national level without the support of the opposition. Is that still the government's
position? If it is, could you explain why you have taken that position, given the disarray in which the opposition
currently finds itself?

Senator McKIM: Thanks, Minister. On another matter, the Australian Human Rights Commission has
dedicated commissioners for sex, age, race, disability, children, human rights and Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander social justice but not an LGBTIQA+ commissioner. The government has also, as you'd obviously be
aware, appointed special envoys for antisemitism and Islamophobia. There's rising hate and violence against
queer folk—LGBTIQA+ people—in this country. And some subgroups of that minority population are being
weaponised in political and culture wars—including by some in this parliament, I might add. Why is the
government not moving forward with appointing an LGBTIQA+ human rights commissioner, and why does a
cabinet that has a number of portfolios dedicated, quite rightly, to the needs of minority populations in Australia
not include a minister for LGBTIQA+ folk?

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 4d

“Work is currently underway to develop legislation that will prohibit conversion practices in WA, including the introduction of criminal offences and a civil scheme.” a government spokesperson told OUTinPerth.
#wapol
www.outinperth.com/wa-governmen...

WA government says its still progressing plan to address conversion therapy

The Western Australian government says its still progressing with development of legislation to ban conversion therapy practices.

www.outinperth.com

Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 6d

"The conservative justices repeatedly questioned whether the law was an unconstitutional regulation of speech & whether conversion practices were harmful enough to constitute banning them." #SCOTUS justices fine with torture apparently.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US supreme court appears poised to overturn Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’

Ruling in favor of Christian legal group could undermine care and rights for LGBTQ+ youth across the country

www.theguardian.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 7d

“The research from Stubbs Terrace continues to be used to promote the idea that gender diverse children’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour can be suppressed, changed or corrected so that they become cisgender adults.” #wapol #aushealth
www.outinperth.com/rainbow-futu...

Rainbow Futures WA: Ban on conversion practices 'cannot come soon enough'

"The government must urgently introduce legislation to protect LGBTQA+ people from these abhorrent practices.”

www.outinperth.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 7d

Religious fundamentalists in the US are demanding the right to inflict psychological torture on young people - just as their counterparts in Australia are too.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Christian group ‘deceived’ supreme court about LGBTQ+ research, cited scholars say

Exclusive: Experts say Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing to revive conversion therapy, ‘profoundly misrepresented’ their work in case threatening trans and queer youth

www.theguardian.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 7d

"A new report published in The Medical Journal of Australia argues the UK’s Cass Review should not used as a guide for the care of young transgender people and argues that Australia’s approach to treatment is recognised internationally as best practice." #aushealth
www.outinperth.com/new-australi...

New Australian report says UK's Cass Review should not guide care for trans young people

Australian researchers argue that the UK's Cass Review is deeply flawed.

www.outinperth.com

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 7d

Such an important article, outlining historical trans conversion practices and their devastating impact, as well as the disturbing use of the 'study' which employed this psychological torture today. #trans #aushealth
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

'Conversion therapy' survivor speaking out against trans health study

A decades-old psychiatric study is influencing current debates over transgender youth health care. But a new analysis led by a survivor says the findings were deeply harmful and dangerously misleading...

www.abc.net.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 7d

Mandatory minimum prison sentences are always wrong. #auslaw
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Coalition tries to wedge Labor on mandatory child abuse sentencing

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley raises the case of a trans child abuser as she seeks to pressure the Albanese government to create mandatory minimum jail terms for child exploitation offences.

www.abc.net.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 8d

A new National Children's Commissioner is appointed.

While the LGBTIQ+ community still waits for an LGBTIQ+ Commissioner, first promised by Labor under Shorten in 2016, before being abandoned by Albanese. #auspol
www.themandarin.com.au/300553-deb-t...

Deb Tsorbaris named children's commissioner

Deb Tsorbaris will become national children’s commissioner this November, bringing 12 years’ leadership in child and family services.

www.themandarin.com.au

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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 8d

The Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission has strongly condemn an unauthorised protest involving transphobic amplified messaging that occurred in Darwin on Friday. #ntpol
www.outinperth.com/nt-anti-disc...

NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner raises concern over anti-trans protest

The commissioner says the unauthorised protest may have broken the state's anti-discrimination laws