VOX POP VOX POP

1. I’m not putting on the accent. Yes, I know I don’t sound like my parents. No, they don’t know where it comes from either. Yes, you did mention you don’t like accent comedy in improv, but I just speak like this. Yes, I know you can’t retroactively give me first place in the Eisteddfod.

2. Enby. If you call me an enby I become the legal owner of everything you’re carrying and that includes your ID.

3. I would like to see this government make a single major choice that justifies them calling themselves a Labour party; they can start by nationalising Cafe de Vili’s.

1. 1. I think the most awkward thing I had to explain was early in my social transition when I first started using he/him pronouns as well as they/them - people automatically assumed I was a trans man and it felt really awkward trying to explain that while I do use he/him pronouns, I don’t identify as a trans man.

2. I think that anything like ‘theydies and gentlethems’ should be retired - it feels like people are trying to find a way to still put non-binary people into gendered boxes. It has the same vibes as ‘are you a girl non-binary or a boy non-binary?’ The terms completely ignore the expansiveness of non-binary identities and tend to invalidate people’s experiences.

3. I want labor to make it a lot easier to get a legal name change. I also want them to get a lot better about environmental issues and actually take a stand on closing coal mines, integrating proper Indigenous agriculture and aquaculture techniques, and ensuring that the voice to parliament isn’t just performative allyship and is instead the first step to a treaty and decolonisation (which I would also like them to commit to).

1. What’s the most awkward thing you’ve had to explain to someone?

2. Which bit of queer slang do you think should be retired?

3. It’s been a year since Labour was elected. What do you want to see out of this government before the next election?

1. That being on the asexual spectrum is enough to be a part of the LGBTQIA community.

2. As someone who has recently become part of the LGBT community, I don’t have strong personal feelings regarding which slang terms the community should retire.

3. I want to see them do some meaningful action addressing the cost of living and housing crises. Solaris.they/them

B.Mech_Engineering

1. I’ve had to explain to someone what OBA is after comparing it to the poet, king, and soldier quiz (a quiz based on the song of the same title that became popular on TikTok).

2. Bussy needs to retire, nothing shady it’s just overtaken my whole vocabulary.

3. As a queer Aboriginal person I have hardly any expectation of the current government. Only the hope they are able to remedy or find a solution to the current housing crisis, increase wages to an actual liveable standard, further create systems and policies that can help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have an equal footing with the rest of the Australian population, and finally, hopefully for Australia Day to be changed to a date that me, my mob and all of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population no longer have to endure the painful reminder that date upholds.

Fearmongering around ‘drag storytime’ events held at public libraries in the USA have recently been gaining traction in Australia. How do you think Australian local councils should respond to threats concerning drag-related events?

socialist alternative:

Written by Ashraf Abdul Halim (He/Him)

Councils and the community need to take a stand to ensure these events can continue to go ahead. Activists should organise to show solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community by defending these events from bigots. Cancelling these events gives the far-right a massive victory, only giving them confidence to continue opposing these events.

GREENS CLUB:

Written by Declan Clarke (They/He)

Australian councils are unequipped to combat this violent extremism that has been growing over the last decade, and a state-level response should be made. If state governments pass anti-vilification laws that protect LGBTQIA+ people and grant councils the required resources, then councils could raise awareness while minimising transphobic hate.

Liberal club:

Written by Jayden Squire (He/They)

The Liberal Party that was founded on the core belief of the liberty of the individualif an individual, an adult wishes to express themselves in the form of drag performance then they should be encouraged to do so. The Liberal Party does not have a formal policy on ‘drag storytime’. Local councils should be entitled to hold these events with parents deciding what is appropriate for children. The Liberal Party provides a conscious vote on these issues, David Pisoni, state MP for Unley has indicated his support for allowing drag story times if appropriate.

labor CLUB:

Written by Steph Madigan (She/Her)

While cancelling protects people at individual events, calling off drag shows emboldens far-right groups to pick more targets. We need laws protecting LGBTQ+ people from *vilification*, which covers inciting hatred in the public sphere whether online or on the steps of parliament. Since, currently, local councils can only try to track down anonymous hackers.

2. socialist alternative:

Many trans, intersex and gender diverse people struggle to access appropriate care due to gendered language in parliamentary and insurance legislation (eg. A trans man may not be eligible for uterus-related care due it being designated a ‘women’s issue’). What does your party believe to be the best direction for changes to take place, or not take place?

Liberal CLUB:

Written by Jayden Squire (He/They)

Written by Ashraf Abdul Halim (He/Him)

All legal and bureaucratic barriers to trans, intersex and gender diverse people accessing whatever healthcare they need must be overturned. But we also need to overcome the barriers put up by a semi-private healthcare system and a lack of funding. Real inclusivity needs a free and fully funded public healthcare system.

GREENS CLUB:

Written by Declan Clarke (They/He)

Trans, intersex and gender diverse must have access to the care they deserve. Abolishing gendered language as seen in SA and in the ACT creates some flexibility in legislation to account for LGBTQI+ folks. However, many other discriminatory barriers and a lack of resources make it harder for them to survive.

While the Liberal Party does not have any clear federal policy about how we ought to best deal with gender specific legislation, it is important that legislation fit the current requirements. Legislation should not exclude people who have the issues, the legislation will need to allow for someone who was born female at birth, to transition and still be able to get the adequate health care required for the organs that the person received at birth. Legislation should be modified to be equipped with this.

labor CLUB:

Written by Steph Madigan (She/Her)

No one is worse off for using gender inclusive language. While we have no time whatsoever for TERFism, we do see a need for tailored policy responses for cis, trans, non-binary etc. folks. Specificity and nuance is needed in healthcare and sometimes it takes a while to settle on language that’s both inclusive and usable.

Openly gay MP Alex Greenwich has announced plans to seek legal consequences for a homophobic tweet posted by MP Mark Latham. When it comes to social media, how can government’s best take action against digital hate crimes?

socialist alternative:

Written by Ashraf Abdul Halim (He/Him)

Mark Latham’s comments were disgusting; even most right-wingers felt compelled to condemn them shows the advances made by LGBTIQ+ people in recent decades. This wasn’t done through appealing to the government to ban hate speech, but through using our own free speech to confront bigoted ideas in mass and popular campaigns - an approach we need to revive today.

GREENS CLUB:

Written by Declan Clarke (They/He)

When unchecked, online hate speech causes violent hate crimes that target our most vulnerable. We must hold those who speak hate, and those who profit from it accountable. By imposing harsh penalties on social media companies that allow hate to fester will help create safer and more welcoming Australia.

Liberal CLUB:

Written by Jayden Squire (He/They)

A hate crime is a hate crime, no matter the location. As seen online since the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic and racist activity has skyrocketed on twitter, the platform in which former Labor leader Mark Latham MP made his absolutely disgusting comments. The current legislation is not equipped for an overly digitised world. The federal parliament should update legislation to ensure all digital hate crimes can be prosecuted.

labor CLUB:

Written by Steph Madigan (She/Her)

First, political parties must adopt and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit the use of hate speech. When politicians use hate speech, IRL political violence increases. Second, the government should fine social media companies that fail to remove abusive content. In Australia, regulation of online speech is in its infancy. At the same time, forcing large tech companies to arbit hateful content risks collateral damage to free speech.