Australian government rejects UN calls to strengthen LGBTQ+ rights

Australia's Albanese government has rejected all United Nations recommendations aimed specifically at improving protections for LGBTQ+ people, following a review of the country’s human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council.

Through the Universal Periodic Review, every UN member state undergoes scrutiny of its human rights performance approximately every four and a half years. In the latest round, more than 120 countries issued recommendations to Australia across a broad range of areas, including the rights of children, women, people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. LGBTQ+ communities were the only group for which the government declined every recommendation.

Eight recommendations directly addressed LGBTQ+ rights, ABC News reports. They called for the removal of exemptions that allow religious schools to legally discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and staff, the ending of legal exemptions that enable discrimination against trans, gender-diverse and intersex people, public education campaigns to reduce stigma and discrimination, a national ban on conversion practices, a prohibition on unnecessary medical interventions on intersex children, and simpler legal processes for trans and gender-diverse people to change their gender without intrusive barriers.

Equality Australia spokesperson Savanh Tanhchareun said the review offered a clear chance for the government to demonstrate leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. He said that by refusing to accept recommendations on LGBTIQ+ rights, the government had passed up an opportunity to prove it is serious about equality, safety and dignity for every Australian.

The Albanese government has frequently promoted its pro-LGBTQ+ record. In 2023, Anthony Albanese became the first sitting prime minister to march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, an event that symbolised visible federal support for queer communities. Advocacy organisations have pointed to ongoing gaps, including the exclusion of intersex status from the upcoming Census and the slow progress on reforming discrimination laws and ending conversion practices.

Mr Tanhchareun said the government’s response sends a troubling message that it views the task of advancing LGBTIQ+ rights in Australia as complete, despite clear evidence of remaining inequities.

In its written response to the UN, the government accepted 38 per cent of all recommendations. Human Rights Watch noted that this is lower than the 51 per cent acceptance rate recorded by the Morrison government in 2021 and represents the lowest rate since Australia began participating in the Universal Periodic Review more than two decades ago.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) criticised the approach, highlighting that other countries generally accept between 73 and 76 per cent of their recommendations. Acting AHRC president Anna Cody said the government had agreed only to recommendations that relate to reforms already implemented or underway. She said more than 200 recommendations for new reforms remain unaddressed, including measures that would significantly improve the rights, health and safety of First Nations peoples, people with disability, women, children, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ people and people in detention.

Dr Cody warned that this widening gap between Australia’s international human rights commitments and its domestic practice risks damaging the country’s reputation as a regional leader on human rights. Many of the unaccepted recommendations focused on strengthening accountability and transparency across national, state and territory governments, which she said reflects growing concern about the depth of their commitment to meaningful oversight.

A government spokesperson said Australia believes every person is entitled to respect, dignity and equality before the law and to full participation in society, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. The spokesperson stated that Australia has made significant progress in advancing the rights of LGBTIQA+ people and remains committed to continuing that work, and noted that the government has accepted 128 of the 332 recommendations overall.

LGBTQ+ advocates argue that the decisions taken in the Universal Periodic Review underline the need for sustained community organising, legal reform and change within workplaces and institutions. For those seeking to build that change in their professional lives, connect with inclusive employers and strengthen LGBTQ+ visibility in business, a practical next step is to sign up to myGwork, the global LGBTQ+ business community and talent platform.