Uniting’s Post

We Australians influenced a positive and dignified outcome for #marriageequality2017 so we can do it again - insisting on visiblity and inclusion for #census2026

As a data scientist I have relied on census data to investigate how different groups experience areas of life such as: access to healthcare, higher education and even excessive use of force by police. However, as trans and intersex people are invisible this census data, equity challenges for these groups are invisible. We need gender questions to understand where the challenges are in our society, and find sensible solutions, so that everyone can get a fair go. #TransRightsAreHumanRights.

Our 2026 census should count all of us in. In 2022 the ABS committed to include questions on; sexual orientation, gender identity and variations of sex characteristics separately This was as a result of a 2022 formal complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission alleging unlawful discrimination in the link below. What's the point of capturing just some of us? The Census needs to include questions that capture trans and gender diverse people, and people with innate variations of sex characteristics. #countusallin https://lnkd.in/eHThMxWh

Today is day 12 of public debate about what should have been, and should still be, a straight-forward topic: counting LGBTIQ Australians in the 2026 Census. I've already written a lot about this, so today I'm prioritising the voices of two leaders advocating for the inclusion of trans and gender diverse, and intersex, people in the nation's data set (with the added bonus that they are two amazing individuals I am lucky enough to know). The first is Eloise Brook, CEO of AusPATH, who says (in the article linked below): “The only common-sense solution is to include trans people in the Census. Census data will tell us the size and the scope of the health crises affecting trans people in Australia. Without that data our emergency rooms will continue to replace our GP’s offices as the place of primary care for trans people. As a direct result of not knowing, state health departments will continue to spend 10s of millions of dollars every year on preventable and manageable health solutions.” The second is Morgan Carpenter, Executive Director of Intersex Human Rights Australia, who says: “The 2016 and 2021 censuses sought to capture data on people with innate variations of sex characteristics but they did so in ways that were harmful and that did not produce reliable meaningful data. We have an opportunity to do better in the 2026 Census.” It really is that simple. The data is vital, to help meet the health and other needs of LGBTIQ people - and that must include trans and gender diverse and intersex people. It is also what is being called for by the communities affected. Oh, and it happens to be what the Labor Party promised, too. As Morgan notes: 'We have the opportunity to do better.' That's what the Albanese Government should do urgently, by making it clear the 2026 Census will include questions on all of sexual orientation, gender identity and innate variations of sex characteristics. #auspol #aushealth #Census #lgbtiq https://lnkd.in/gKj-UZyD

All of us headspace remain hopeful that the 2026 Census will contain questions seeking to understand the diversity within the Australian LGBTIQA+ community.  While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated last week the #Census will now include a new question about sexual orientation, it is important that gender-diverse and intersex people also have the same opportunity to be counted in the Census. We know this community reports higher levels of psychological distress than their peers, and to further exclude them only deepens the sense of isolation many already experience every day.  From a headspace perspective, It’s more than just a matter of wanting queer young people to feel counted. Having an accurate picture of the communities we engage with, and all their intersections, makes it possible for headspace and partner organisations to plan better. Such data would also assist #PHNs and governments to be more informed with population health planning. headspace hopes the Australian Government will reconsider its decision and introduce new questions that reflect the modern and diverse country where we can all be counted. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Intersex Human Rights Australia Equality Australia You can read my full response to the decision here. https://lnkd.in/gHqW3baZ

We are proud to be signatories on the Joint Statement in support of the inclusion of three new topics on gender, variations of sex characteristics, and sexual orientation variables into the 2026 Census. The absence of relevant Census data for LGBTIQ+ populations means that health policy, programs and services cannot be accurately targeted, leading to increased healthcare costs and inefficient use of public resources. We join others in asking all Members of Parliament to set aside political differences and focus on prioritising health and wellbeing above all else. Data is imperative for evidence-based policy, leading to better outcomes for all Australians. https://lnkd.in/gU6q7SNu #lgbtiqa #inclusion #mentalhealthservices

Hi Network, we would like to request you endorse the join statement on the 2026 Census. The Statement highlights the need for the questions on the new topic areas to be asked in a manner that is consistent with the ABS’s own guidance and is outlined in their Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables that standardises the collection and dissemination of data relating to sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation. The capturing if best practice data in the Census is crucial in fostering an evidence-informed environment for health and economic policy service planning and understanding health and social service utilisation, which is essential in addressing the significant health disparities that LGBTIQ+ people experience. We are seeking the support from organisations able to endorse the Joint Statement. If you have the authority to endorse on behalf of your organisation - please register here and upload your organisation's logo. Thank you and we appreciate your support of the work of LHA and in working together to reduce the health and wellbeing disparities that LGBTIQ+ people experience. #chosenfamilyaustralia #lgbtiqhealthaustralia Endorse here: https://lnkd.in/g65xb7Us

Can you believe we are now on *day nine* of public debate about the Albanese Government's shifting position(s) on the 2026 Census and we *still* don't know whether all parts of the LGBTIQ+ community will be counted? The whole sorry saga started last Sunday, August 25, when reports first emerged the Govt had directed the ABS not to proceed with LGBTIQ questions for the next Census, thereby breaking their election promise. Then followed 5 days of community backlash, with different MPs & Ministers providing an array of different justifications for the decision - with only 1 thing in common, that they were equally implausible. On Friday 30 August, PM Albanese offered a partial backdown, committing to including 'one question about sexuality, sexual preference' [sic]. The implication being that other necessary questions, on gender identity & innate variations of sex characteristics, would remain excluded. On Saturday 31 August, the PM then muddied the water further, by appearing to suggest an existing question on 'identity' (presumably the 2021 question asking people whether they were male, female or 'non-binary sex' [sic]) might be amended to allow collection of gender identity data. However, it is not possible to collect both sex & gender identity data in 1 question - which is why the ABS 'Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables', developed in 2020 & used extensively since then, adopts 2 separate questions on these topics, plus 2 more stand-alone questions on sex characteristics & sexual orientation: https://lnkd.in/gEe8YUED The PM's public comments, focusing on 'sexuality' & 'identity', also seem to confirm a specific question on innate variations of sex characteristics (which is *neither* sexuality nor identity) is unlikely to progress to the Census. Then, on Sunday 1 September, we had Minister Rishworth & then the PM himself, offer a new excuse for not including questions on gender identity or sex characteristics: they were 'too complex' for the public to understand. Leaving aside the fact the 4 questions which have been included in the ABS standard for the past 4 years are not complex, the Government literally stepped in at the last minute to stop the ABS from conducting large-scale public testing on its proposed questions which would have revealed whether that concern was indeed valid! Honestly, the whole experience has been incredibly tiresome, as the LGBTIQ community has been left to fight, yet again, for what is actually the bare minimum. What is needed now is for the Government to publicly commit to including questions on all three topics: -sexual orientation -gender identity *and* -sex characteristics. Just like they promised us they would. #auspol #Census #lgbtiq https://lnkd.in/gh_Gaw4V

Every single one of us living in Australia should be able to complete the census in a way that accurately captures who we are, in the simplest of ways.   While we welcome the decision to include a question on sexual orientation in the next census, it is imperative that the national dataset count all members of the LGBTQI+ community. Trans, gender diverse and people with variations of sex characters deserve to be recognised as much as anyone else.   Structural exclusion or discrimination is linked with poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The opposite is also true - being included and knowing that you belong promotes good mental health outcomes.   We know that more needs to be done to support the mental health outcomes of LGBTIQ+ communities. Accurate census data is a vital component of making the necessary changes to our existing systems to ensure everybody in Australia can get the support that is right for them, when they need it.   Including questions that capture these experiences will simply bring Australia in line with countries like the United Kingdom, Scotland, Canada and New Zealand. Doing anything less risks us lagging behind and missing an opportunity to accurately reflect the true diversity of LGBTIQ+ people across Australia. https://lnkd.in/gD8GA9Dk

The solution to all this nonsense is simple: the Census should ask for your sex—Male or Female. That’s it. Australians, like most people, aren’t interested in knowing your personal sexual preferences or gender identity when it comes to the provision of public services or basic societal functions. What truly matters is biological sex, and that’s what should be reflected. Why are we turning everything upside down for a tiny minority of confused individuals? The overwhelming majority of people are clear on their biological sex, and society functions based on this very distinction. Yet, we find ourselves redesigning policies, language, services, and even legal frameworks to accommodate an extremely small percentage of people who identify otherwise. It’s lunacy to reshape the foundations of society to cater to such a minuscule group, while the majority is expected to simply accept these changes without question. Basic distinctions, like male and female, are grounded in biological fact, and they have guided the structure of our services, institutions, and interactions for centuries. By complicating this with additional categories that are neither universally understood nor relevant to everyday matters, we risk undermining clarity and common sense. The simple truth is that for the vast majority of situations, your biological sex is the only relevant piece of information. We should focus on what works for the majority, not flip the world upside down for the demands of a tiny minority.