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Is Western Australia LGBT friendly?
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Western Australia is one of the best places to live in the world. We have beautiful beaches, great food, and amazing culture. But WA also has a reputation for being tough on LGBTIQA+ people.
WA is not generally considered to be very LGBT friendly. There are laws against discrimination based on sexuality, race, religion, disability, age, marital status, family responsibilities, political opinion, etc. These laws are enforced by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
But WA has recently become much more accepting of LGBTIQA+ people, especially in recent years. In fact, Perth is now home to the largest Pride festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
There are still problems though. For example, there are no official statistics on hate crimes against LGBTIQA+ people in WA. And while the state government has introduced anti-discrimination legislation, it hasn’t yet passed Parliament.
So, although WA is becoming more tolerant of LGBTIQA+ issues, there’s still room for improvement.
The History of Homosexuality in WA
Homosexuality was illegal in Western Australia until 1973 when the law was changed to allow homosexual acts between consenting adults over 21 years of age. The change came after a campaign led by gay rights activist Harry Bluett who had been arrested for soliciting sex at a public toilet in Perth. He later became the first person in Australia to be convicted of gross indecency.
The law was repealed in 1977, but homosexuality remained a crime until 1997 when the Criminal Code Act was amended to remove references to sexual activity between men. However, the act did not include lesbians.
In 1998, the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation) Bill was introduced to Parliament. This bill would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, adopt children, and access government benefits. However, this bill failed to pass through parliament.
In 2009, the Marriage Equality Referendum was held in Western Australia. Voters were asked whether they supported allowing same-sex marriage. The result showed that 61% voted yes and 39% voted no.
Since then, there have been several attempts to introduce legislation that would legalise same-sex marriage. These bills have not passed through parliament.
Gay Marriage in WA
Western Australia (WA) was the last state in Australia to legalise gay marriage. The law came into effect on December 7, 2017.
However, there were some exceptions. Gay couples who had been legally married overseas would be able to apply for a special visa allowing them to enter WA. They would need to prove they had lived together for at least two years prior to applying.
This means that same-sex couples who live outside of WA cannot marry in WA unless they move here. This makes sense because we’re not just a tourist destination, we’re a place where people actually live.
Same-sex couples who live in WA must still register their relationship with the Department of Health. However, this registration does not entitle them to any benefits.
If you’re planning to visit WA, you may find yourself wondering whether it’s safe to travel openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person. Fortunately, WA is very tolerant towards LGBT people. There are no laws against being open about your sexuality.
There are however, some things you should keep in mind when visiting WA.
• Don’t use public toilets. Public toilets are only available in hotels and restaurants. • Avoid areas known for prostitution. These include Kings Park, Fremantle, Perth CBD, and the Swan River foreshore. • Be careful when walking alone late at night. Always take care when crossing roads. • Keep your wallet and phone secure. Never leave these items unattended. • Do not display rainbow flags or stickers. These are considered offensive symbols. • Be aware of pickpockets. Carry only small amounts of cash and wear a backpack. • Report suspicious behaviour to police.
Same Sex Parenting
Same sex parenting is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. The number of countries where same sex couples are allowed to adopt children is growing rapidly. Same sex marriage is legal in some states in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Saint Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Belize, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States Of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Samoa, Wallis & Futuna, Pitcairn, French Polynesia, Tahiti, Easter Island, Hawaii, Midway Atoll, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Navassa Island, Wake Island, Jarvis Island, Bikini Atoll, Enewetak Atoll, Rongelap Atoll, Line Islands, Gilbert Islands, Kiritimati Atoll, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island, McDonald Islands, Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, Falkland Islands, Lord Howe Island, Kerguelen Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Amsterdam Island, Ross Dependency, Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, Peter I Island, Macquarie Group, Mascarene Islands, Phoenix Islands, Snares Is., Coral Sea Islands, Tasman Basin, Australian Antarctic Territory, Ashmore & Cartier Islands, Bouvet Island, Davis Strait, East Greenland, Hudson Bay, James Ross Island, Marion Island, North Pole, Novaya Zemlya, Prydzhan, Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, South Orkney Islands, South Shetlands, Subantarctic Islands, Suruga Bank, Taiwan, Galapagos Islands, Cocos (Keeled) Islands, Diego Garcia, Maldives, Reunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Mayotte, Madagascar, Reunion, St Helena, Ascension & Tristan Da Cunha, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, European Union, Aruba, Curacao, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City State, Andorra, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Eswatini, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Lesoto, South Africa, Angola.
Wrapping up
Being open about who you are and accepting others will go a long way towards making life easier for everyone.