Policy & Research
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia provides a national voice on policy related to the health and wellbeing of people with same-gender attractions and/or relationships, people of trans experience, and people with intersex variations.
We work collaboratively with a wide variety of stakeholders to produce evidence-based policy. As an ‘alliance’ we rely on our membership to contribute their ideas, inspiration, experience, and expertise to the policy process.
Informed: Evidence includes both findings from peer-reviewed research and direct input from our diverse individual and organisational members across Australia. We value these grassroots voices as an important source of evidence that can document needs and concerns that have not been addressed in formal research.
We conduct national consultations of our members for input into our formal submissions when time permits. We actively encourage members to raise nationally relevant, health-related concerns with us for consideration. If you wish to get involved, please contact us.
Inclusive: Our goal is for our work to be as broadly inclusive of as many population groups as possible during any given year. We maintain the ability to fluidly shift the focus of our work in response to timely opportunities, current events, and requests from member organisations.
Dynamic: As a result of this responsiveness, there may be times when we appear to focus more on a particular population at any given moment. However, over the course of the year, we strive for balance in prioritising the needs of each population within the Commonwealth-recognised category of ‘LGBTI’.
Membership: If you are interested in supporting our Research & Policy team, we recommend that you become a member of the Alliance.
New Australian Bureau of Statistics 2020 Standard
Policy Submissions and Reports
Resources:
Submission to ABS 2026 Census Topic Consultation Phase One
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) is calling for the 2026 census to include an integrated set of questions that capture adequate data on LGBTIQ+ people: sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation. These topics meet the ABS census criteria for national importance and need.
Submission on Australian clinical quality registries
While LGBTIQ+ people have poorer health outcomes than the broader community, current data collection does not adequately include LGBTIQ+ demographics. This means LGBTIQ+ populations are routinely excluded or not adequately considered in policy and program development.
Submission: Australian Law Reform Commission consultation on anti-discrimination law
LHA welcomes the Australian Government’s move to prevent educational institutions discriminating against students and staff based on sexual orientation, gender, relationship status or pregnancy.
Submission: Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 - exposure draft
The Australian Government has sought comment on an exposure draft of the Family Law Amendment Bill 2023
Federal commitment to 10-year LGBTIQ+ Health and Wellbeing Action Plan is life-saving
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) today welcome Federal Government commitment to a 10-year national action plan for LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing, alongside an LGBTIQ+ Health Advisory Group and $26 million for health research.
National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy
The National Mental Health Commission is developing a National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy on behalf of the Australian Government. It aims to ensure stigma and discrimination on the basis of mental ill-health are not barriers to people living long and contributing lives.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Budget Submission 2023-2024
The Australian Federal Budget for 2023-24 will be put to Parliament in May.
LHA letter on the draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill
The Australian Government consulted on a draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill to establish a new independent statutory office–the Inspector-General of Aged Care–to provide oversight and drive improvements in the aged care system.
Pride & Pandemic: Health experience and coping strategies among LGBTQ+ people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
Pride and Pandemic is a joint study between La Trobe University's Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.
Silver Rainbow Webinar: Older LGBTI people and accurate data collection
Why does accurate data collection for LGBTI older people matter and how can we take steps to create more inclusive data collection?
IDAHOBIT 2022: A Call to Action
This year, IDAHOBIT is just days before the 2022 Federal Election. IDAHOBIT is observed on 17 May each year and aims to raise awareness for ending discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people. Ending stigma, discrimination, and violence against LGBTIQ+ people and communities requires systemic change and specific support for diverse LGBTIQ+ communities.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia calls on candidates to commit to tackling health disparities
With a federal election due to be called, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia is calling on all parties and independent candidates to commit to nine priorities to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people and communities.
Federal Labor commits to 15 community sector workers in LGBTIQ+ community organisations
This media release was originally released by Linda Burney MP, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services, and Senator Jenny McAllister, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence
An Albanese Labor Government will provide dedicated funding to LGBTIQ+ community organisations to employ specialist domestic violence workers, ensuring LGBTIQ+ people receive appropriate family and domestic violence support.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Budget Submission 2022-2023
The Australian Federal Budget for 2022-23 will be put to Parliament on Tuesday 29 March.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) has called on the Government to invest in removing address serious LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing disparities in a strategic and targeted way.
LGBTIQ+ health peak body calls for great care to be taken when discussing the Religious Discrimination Bill this week
With the Federal Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill being debated in Parliament this week, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia is calling for politicians, media and others to take care when commenting in the public domain. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia is urging those commenting to consider the negative impacts that continued public attention on the Religious Discrimination Bill has had and will have on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people and communities.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Submission on the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia have lodged a submission regarding the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, and to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
AMA releases new position statement on LGBTQIA+ health
The AMA has released a position statement calling for an end to discrimination against people who are LGBTQIA+ in the healthcare system, including patients and health care workers.
Snapshot of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Statistics for LGBTIQ+ People
Although many LGBTIQ+ Australians live healthy and happy lives, research has shown that a disproportionate number experience poorer mental health outcomes and have higher risk of suicidal behaviours than their peers.
LGBTIQ+ Health & Wellbeing Policy Priorities 2021
LGBTIQ+ people are a priority population in multiple national health and wellbeing strategies, and there is an urgent need for greater national coordination and investment. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia worked closely with our member organisations to provide a submission to the Federal Budget, and to develop recommended Priority Policies for 2021.
Impact of COVID-19 on Older LGBTI Australians
A diverse group of 17 older self-identified LGBTI people were recruited to describe their experience of living in self-isolation.
Submissions: Royal Commission into Aged Care
The entire aged care system needs to be re-designed so that LGBTI older people are at the centre of the system rather than resorting to ‘safety nets’ or adding things onto the system to make it inclusive.
Writing Themselves In Publications
Writing Themselves In is the largest national study series exploring the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ young people in Australia.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Begins Second Round of Consultations about Aged Care Services
In 2019, the National LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) LGBTIQ+ Health Australia ran a series of consultations with LGBTI elders and older people, friends, family members, allies, carers, aged care workers and representative organisations.
COVID-19: LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Programs and Policy Page
After consideration of the current advice that is being provided with regard to coronavirus and ways to reduce transmission, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, the national peak health organisation in Australia for organisations and individuals that provide health-related programs, services and research focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people (LGBTI) and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people and communities, has decided to:
Submission: Religious Discrimination Bill
The Alliance supports the federal government’s commitment to provide comprehensive protection from discrimination for people of faith in areas of public life, provided that these laws do not sanction and enable new forms of discrimination against LGBTI people.
Submission: Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on Mental Health
We welcome the release of the Productivity Commission’s draft report, and its recognition that LGBTI people are more likely than the general population to face stigma and discrimination, and that we are highlighted as a population group at higher risk of poor mental health and suicidal behaviours.
Rainbow Ageing Papers
Rainbow Ageing is a national research project that aims to provide new data on the health and well-being of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Australians.
3rd National Roundtable on LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care
In October 2019, thirty-five delegates attended the 3rd National Roundtable on Ageing and Aged Care. This meeting produced some clear directions for the Alliance to work towards in the ageing and aged care space.
Joint Statement in Support of LGBTI Inclusion in the 2021 Census
JOINT STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE INCLUSION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY AND INTERSEX STATUS IN THE 2021 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING
“Loving Beyond Labels” Sydney Queer Muslims Inc.
Sydney Queer Muslims is a volunteer-based non-profit organisation that has been supporting queer Muslims in the greater Sydney area since its incorporation in 2017.
Preliminary Results of the Coping with Marriage Equality Debate Survey
Between 16 October to 14 November, independent think-tank The Australia Institute and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia ran a questionnaire as part of a study to assess the effect of the Postal Survey on the LGBTIA community and its allies.
Darlington Statement: Joint Consensus Statement from the Intersex Community
The Darlington Statement is a joint consensus statement by Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex organisations and independent advocates, signed in March 2017.
Supporting Same-Sex Attracted Gender Diverse Young People Multicultural Multifaith Backgrounds
This research project involved conducting a case study analysis of the needs of same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people of multicultural and multifaith backgrounds, and how these needs can be addressed by government, and by their cultural and religious communities.
White Paper: ‘Making the Count: Addressing Data Integrity Gaps in Australian Standards for Collecting Sex and Gender Information’
The 2016 Standard for Sex and Gender Variables has yet to incorporate some key recommendations made to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) by LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and participating community organisations.
Resilient Individuals: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Rights
Equality and freedom from discrimination are fundamental human rights that belong to all people, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity or because they are intersex.
Nothing for Them
This report is the result of a small study undertaken to explore services and referral pathways, if any, currently available for refugee and newly arrived young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans or those who may be questioning their sexual feelings and/or gender identity.
The first Australian National Trans Mental Health Study
The first national trans mental health study was a cross-sectional study of trans people living in Australia in 2013.
LGBTI Data 2013
‘Developing an evidence-informed environment for health policy’ – Discussion Paper 2013
Diversity in Health
In April 2012, individuals and organisations from across Australia were invited to participate in a ground breaking National Health Roundtable organised by LGBTIQ+ Health Australia to address the collective priorities for transgender, intersex and other people of diverse sex and gender.
The Bisexuality Report 2012: Bisexual Inclusion in LGBT Equality and Diversity
An important report on bisexuality from the Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance and Faculty of Health and Social Care – The Open University.