Timeline of progress towards LGBTIQA+ equality

The Rainbow Ready roadmap is a set of resources for Victorian rural and regional communities to build lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) inclusion. The roadmap supports the Victorian Government’s Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ strategy 2022-32 by enabling the creation of safe, strong and sustainable communities.

Victoria’s first whole-of-government LGBTIQ+ strategy, Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ strategy 2022-32, provides the vision and plan to drive equality and inclusion for Victoria’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) communities within all aspects of government work over the next decade.

To better protect against discrimination for intersex Victorians, sex characteristics are added as a protected attribute under the Equal Opportunity Act.

The centre is the first of its kind in Australia. It celebrates Victoria’s diverse LGBTIQ+ communities, honours their past, and supports LGBTIQ+ organisations and groups to continue working towards equality.

Victorian Government legislation banning practices that seeking to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are passed by the Victorian Parliament.

Trans and gender diverse Victorians wanting to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate no longer need to undergo sex affirmation surgery under laws passed by the Victorian Government.

Married trans and gender diverse people in Victoria are no longer forced to divorce when they legally correct the sex on their birth certificate.

The Governor hosts an event for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia and discrimination against people with an intersex variation. “We look forward to a day when an occasion like this will be rather commonplace – or better still, unnecessary,” Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau said

It is announced that Australia’s first purpose-built pride centre will be built on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda.

Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities Ro Allen (then known as the Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality) begins a roadshow across regional and rural Victoria to promote LGBTIQ+ inclusion. This first phase lasted until June 2017, and has had lasting implications on the Equality portfolio’s work. It was followed by a central Community of Practice, which grew into numerous rural and regional communities of practice, resulting in the Rainbow Ready Roadmap resources, now in development.

Changes to the Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Act 2015 in Victoria allow couples to adopt regardless of their sex or gender identity.

2,500 Victorians gather in Federation Square to show solidarity following the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando where 49 people were killed.

Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the shameful historic laws that criminalised homosexuality in Victoria. Before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1980, men could be sentenced for up to 15 years in prison for having consensual sex with other men. "These laws did not just punish homosexual acts, they punished homosexual thought. They had no place in a liberal democracy. They have no place anywhere," the Premier said.

A person or representative of a deceased person can apply to remove old convictions for homosexual sexual activity, that is no longer a criminal offence. This is known as expungement.

Ro Allen announced as Victoria’s first Gender and Sexuality Commissioner. Their title later became the Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities.

Intentional HIV transmission had penalties of up to 25 years in jail, compared to 20 years for manslaughter. Section 19A of the Crimes Act was removed, so intentional infection of HIV became part of existing criminal offences such as ‘causing serious injury.’

The first time there is a Minister for Equality and Equality portfolio in Victoria. Its purpose is to champion the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and intersex (LGBTIQ+) Victorians.