Foreign Policy
Countries in Asia and the Pacific are home to some of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTIQ+ laws.
Twelve Asia-Pacific nations still criminalise consensual same-sex relations and trans or gender diverse people in 13 countries are unable to update their name and/or gender marker on official documents such as passports and birth certificates.
All but two countries permit non-consensual medical interventions on intersex infants and children, which the UN has classified as a form of torture.
Only a few nations have LGBTIQ+ anti-discrimination protections, meaning people face exclusion and discrimination at schools and workplaces, in hospitals, homes or on the street. At the same time, there has been an increase in anti-LGBTIQ+ rhetoric and a rollback of equality gains across the region.
It is time for Australia to step up and support some of the most marginalised people in the countries closest to us.
Partnering with Pride: The case for Australian action on equality in our region.
In 2023 Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced Australia’s first ever dedicated strategy and fund for international LGBTIQ+ equality.
The government’s announcement followed the launch of the Partnering with Pride report, produced by Equality Australia, the Global Philanthropy Project (GPP) and a coalition of Asia and Pacific regional partner organisations. our region.
Equality Australia is continuing to work with GPP and a coalition of regional organisations on the ground in Asia and the Pacific to advocate for greater action by the Australian Government.
The Inclusion and Equality Fund is a huge step forward, but it remains severely underfunded, and more is needed to make a real difference.
We can support LGBTIQ+ people in the region and globally by:
- Funding LGBTIQ+ community groups in our region to help prevent legal and social stigma and discrimination
- Championing LGBTIQ+ rights in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy
- Including LGBTIQ+ people in Australia’s overseas development assistance
