Brisbane LGBTI Legal Service to be funded: Qld Government

Monday, March 27, 2017

There are some days it is better than others to wake up in the morning, and today was one of those magic days. Facebook told me that today was the fourth anniversary when I and six other ordinary citizens had defeated a proposal by then Attorney-General Bleijie to criminalise gays, lesbians and singles from becoming parents through surrogacy.

On the very same day, four years later, my husband Mitchell and I were honoured to witness the announcement by the Queensland Attorney-General, Yvette D’Ath, this morning that the LGBTI Legal Service would be funded for the next three years.

As I said to the Attorney afterwards, although I had been alive when the Berlin Wall fell- so anything was possible, and although I had hoped that there would be funding, I never expected it to occur.

The LGBTI Legal Service, which is soon to turn 7, has never been funded by the taxpayer- the only community legal centre in Queensland in that category. LGBTI people are the most vulnerable, on a range of categories, including domestic violence and discrimination, so with this funding they might at long last get better protection.