Several employees of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community have spoken anonymously about the broadcaster’s decision to end its partnerships with ACON’s Pride in Diversity program, with one describing the move as a “kick in the teeth”.
Staff members told Star Observer the decision had left them feeling dismissed and unsupported, particularly given the ABC’s public commitment to being a safe and inclusive workplace for queer employees.
“It makes me feel really undervalued as an ABC employee,” one worker said. “It seems odd they would promote they are supportive of people who are queer to work here by asking if they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community when hired, when they are dropping sponsorships for the groups we could go to for support.”
A number of employees also said they were frustrated by how the change was communicated, with some learning about it through outside media reports rather than internal channels.
“The lack of communication with staff about it also feels insulting and cowardly,” another employee said.
The ABC’s decision, first reported by The Guardian Australia, follows an internal announcement confirming it will end memberships with ACON’s Pride in Diversity program, the Australian Disability Network and the Diversity Council of Australia after reviewing its external partnerships. The broadcaster said the arrangements were “no longer providing sufficient value”.
Those partnerships were designed to help the organisation build a more inclusive workplace for staff from marginalised communities.
The move comes after growing scrutiny of the ABC’s relationship with ACON’s Pride in Diversity program from right-wing media outlets, anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and conservative politicians during senate estimates. Particular attention has been directed at ACON’s Australian Workplace Equality Index, which assessed and ranked the ABC on its diversity and inclusion practices.
Media Watch host Paul Barry also devoted a segment to the broadcaster’s relationship with ACON, arguing that it “raises questions about ABC impartiality”.
In response, an ACON spokesperson said Pride in Diversity exists to help employers create safer and more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ Australians.
“Pride in Diversity responds to consistent data that LGBTQ+ people have poorer experiences in Australian workplaces than other employees. Recent employee survey data reveals a downward trend in LGBTQ+ people being themselves in the workplace with less than half (39%) of LGBTQ+ respondents out about their sexuality and only a third (34%) open about their diverse gender to everyone. Pride in Diversity is focused on what organisations can do as employers to create positive, safe and supportive workplaces for their staff.”
The ABC has said it will redirect the funding previously used for these partnerships into internal diversity and inclusion initiatives. However, it did not provide specific detail on what those measures would involve.
“We will always invest in these fundamental principles. The ABC remains committed to diversity and inclusion and will redirect funding to internal initiatives,” the broadcaster said.
Some employees believe the move reflects a broader pattern of the ABC responding too quickly to external political and media pressure.
One anonymous staff member described the decision as a “classic” example of management making changes in an attempt to quieten criticism, comparing it to the fallout surrounding the unlawful dismissal of Antoinette Lattouf after complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists.
“There was absolutely no purpose in management reacting to what The Australian thinks about The ABC, because there’s nothing good faith coming from any of those publications – and if we should have more of a backbone about who we are and how we’re going to support staff.”
That same employee argued there was a clear difference between editorial independence and workplace support, saying staff wellbeing programmes should not be treated as if they influence journalistic output.
“Being part of these People and Culture-based programs is just good HR practise – they have nothing to do with our editorial output.”
Others were even more direct in their criticism.
“It seems very cowardly to me,” a former employee said. “To remove their ties to good, ethical orgs like ACON for fear of it showing a bias just smells so off to me.”
For some staff, the decision also reflects a deeper discomfort inside the organisation around LGBTQIA+ coverage itself.
One current newsroom employee said there remained “a continued disinterest in queer stories despite management hyping it up as a safe space and a place that wants to amplify LGBTQ+ voices”.
“Stories about queer life, struggle, history, etc are downplayed and often quickly removed from the homepage – usually because the same people flagged for being homophobic to their colleagues also decide what makes it to the front page of the ABC.”
Several others echoed that concern, saying it was often difficult to get queer-focused stories approved unless they were already major national headlines.
“While the news was always about balance, there seemed to be a hesitation about queer content,” one recent former employee said. “No-one seemed against it, but no-one ever really seemed willing to jump at it unless it was strong national headline news. Local stories often felt like they had to be straight stories.”
Another ABC news staffer said the latest move felt like part of a broader pattern.
“The ABC is supposed to be one of the better media organisations when it comes to uplifting queer voices but this just goes to show it really is just as bad as every other media outlet.”
