More than 120 election candidates sign pledge to advance transgender rights

At a time when transgender rights are under attack around the world, including in Australia, more than 120 candidates in the upcoming federal election have signed the Trans Justice Pledge.

An initiative of the Trans Justice Project, the pledge outlines commitments to protect trans youth from attacks on their healthcare, make trans healthcare more accessible and affordable, support reforms for equal rights and protections, and invest in combating homelessness, poverty and unemployment within the trans community.

The Trans Justice Pledge has so far been signed by candidates from the Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens and a number of minor parties and independents. It will come as no surprise to anyone that no candidates from the Liberal and National parties have signed the pledge to date.

In February, 18 senators from the Liberal and National parties supported a motion by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson calling for a national inquiry into transgender healthcare. This followed the banning of hormone treatments for new patients under the age of 18 by Queensland’s Liberal National Party (LNP) government in January, putting the health and wellbeing of young trans people at risk and placing the state out of step with the rest of the country and at odds with expert consensus from around the world.

Read more here.