Two leading LGBTIQA+ organisations in the Australian state of Tasmania are calling on the state’s political leaders to take urgent and meaningful action to address critical mental health disparities and outdated laws that continue to harm the community.
Advocacy groups Working It Out and Equality Tasmania have welcomed recent commitments from Tasmania’s three major political parties—Labor, Liberal and the Greens—alongside several independents, to introduce key reforms. These include tougher hate crime legislation, a ban on harmful conversion practices, and a financial redress scheme for victims of historic laws that criminalised homosexuality and cross-dressing.
Parties have also pledged to support a whole-of-government LGBTIQA+ action plan, along with better training for healthcare professionals on LGBTIQA+ issues.
However, both organisations stress that significant gaps remain, particularly in the realm of mental health services. They are now calling for the urgent establishment of a dedicated mental health service for the LGBTIQA+ community.
“Tasmania needs a dedicated LGBTIQA+ mental health service,” said Working It Out CEO Olivia Hogarth.
“National research shows levels of mental health risk among young LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians, due to stigma and discrimination, are the worst in the nation.”
She added that both local and national studies demonstrate strong demand for a community-led mental health service that specifically addresses the barriers LGBTIQA+ people face when navigating mainstream health systems.
Currently, the Liberal Government has funded mental health peer navigators, but has not committed to a standalone LGBTIQA+ mental health service—something Labor and the Greens have promised to deliver.
The calls for immediate action come just ahead of Tasmania’s state election, scheduled for 19 July, with the current government now in caretaker mode.
Equality Tasmania’s Acting President, Dr Ash Russell, acknowledged the growing bipartisan consensus but warned that delay comes at a cost.
“It’s great that all three parties agree on key law reforms, but these reforms are long overdue and we need a strong commitment to delivering them as quickly as possible after the election,” they said.
“The longer a conversion ban takes, the more interstate perpetrators will find a haven for their damaging practices in our state.”
“The longer it takes to enact financial redress, the more elderly gay and trans people will die before they can receive that redress.”
The push for urgent action underscores Tasmania’s complicated relationship with LGBTIQA+ rights. Once known for having some of the harshest anti-gay laws in Australia—homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1997—the state has made significant progress, but advocates say the scars of past discrimination still affect many, especially older community members.
In recent months, Tasmania’s LGBTIQA+ community has faced renewed hostility. Pride flags were vandalised during Pride Month celebrations, and earlier this year, a memorial for trans woman Marjorie Harwood was defaced for the second time.
