Tasmania elects its first openly-lesbian MP
March 20, 2018The Australian state of Tasmania has elected its first openly-lesbian MP to Parliament. Labor MP Alison Standen has been welcomed by the country’s LGBT+ community, with Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, praising her win.
“I congratulate Alison on her election because she is strongly committed to the values of inclusion and equality,” he said. “Her election confirms that being gay is not a barrier to holding high elected office in Tasmania. It also confirms just how far Tasmania has come since it was the last state to decriminalise homosexuality twenty years ago.”
Croome goes on to say there was a surprisingly little backlash from hate groups when Standen presented her sexual orientation so openly, “Although there were some anti-LGBTI leaflets distributed in northern electorates by the Australian Christian Lobby, there were no locally-based attacks against the positive record on LGBTI human rights of any candidate or party…
“I have no doubt that it was due in large part to growing public awareness of Tasmania’s strong and comprehensive hate-speech laws.
“I think I speak for many Tasmanians when I say I hope the 2018 election sets a positive precedent for future state elections being free of anti-LGBTI hate.”
Tim Gibson - mygwork
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