Miles Heffernan

Supporters of Ben Jago mounted a ‘We stand with Ben’ protest outside the Tasmanian Coroner’s office on the weekend. Following the death of Ben Jago’s partner in 2015, the Tasmanian Coroner wrongly denied him his lawful status as next-of-kin. Tasmania’s Supreme Court last week ruled Ben Jago could not bring a discrimination complaint against the coroner regarding that error. Current legislation gifts the coroner immunity from complaints about discrimination.

A church in Tasmania has told a state inquiry they “make no apologies” for conducting forms of “conversion therapy” on gay and lesbian Tasmanians. The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute is conducting an inquiry into the discredited and dangerous practices.

Joe Biden has a bold agenda for LGBTIQ equality. The new American president’s LGBTIQ vision highlights discrimination in the Coalition’s policies as well as Labor’s lack of commitment. In 2020 most Australians viewed the US with a mix of horror and pity. In 2021, LGBTIQ Australians and our allies will view it with envy. The incoming Biden administration and the Democrat-dominated Congress have committed to the most far-reaching LGBTIQ equality program of any US government.