April 2, 2025 – About one in five LGBTIQ+ voters are currently undecided with more than a third indicating they intend to change who they vote for in the upcoming election, a new report has found.
LGBTIQ+ policies remain the number one priority for queer voters, closely followed by climate issues and cost of living, according to Equality Australia’s Rainbow Votes Report based on a national online survey of 5346 LGBTIQ+ voters.
“Parties and independents can’t take LGBTIQ+ voters for granted and they should be working hard to win back voters and build support among those who are undecided,” said Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown.
“These results send a very important message - you must earn our votes through meaningful policy commitments.”
About 5.5 per cent of Australian voters are LGBTIQ+, which equates to almost one million voters, the report found.
Based on the survey results, about 36.7 per cent of LGBTIQ+ respondents will change their vote from the previous election while just over 20 per cent were undecided - an increase in voter indecision since the last election when a survey conducted by Equality Australia found only 13.6 per cent of people were unsure.
“We're seeing higher levels of electoral indecision within our community and many respondents expressed uncertainty about which party or candidate will best represent their interests,” Ms Brown said.
Top national issues for LGBTIQ+ voters (p16 of report)
- LGBTIQ+ issues
- Climate/environment
- Cost of living/wages
LGBTIQ+ voters share the same concerns as many other Australians such as the cost of living and environment, but policy issues impacting the community ranked as the highest priority.
This marks a shift from 2022 when the environment was the top concern followed by LGBTIQ+ issues and then healthcare.
About 95 per cent of people surveyed said that LGBTIQ+ issues are important to them in deciding their vote.
“Even amid the economic pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, LGBTIQ+ voters remain deeply focussed on how policy issues for our community will shape our lives and our futures,” Ms Brown said.
“This change may reflect concerns about global anti-rights movements as well as frustration over the lack of progress on key issues affecting LGBTIQ+ people.”
Top LGBTIQ+ priority issues (p17 of the report)
- Ending conversion practices
- Protections against discrimination
- Ending unnecessary, non-consensual procedures on intersex people
- Supporting rainbow families
- Improved LGBTIQ+ mental health and suicide prevention
Removing barriers faced by rainbow families was not included in 2022 survey questions but it emerged as the fourth most important concern for voters in the 2025 data.
The report also found that LGBTIQ+ people in Australia are united on the issues that matter to them, even policy issues that do not personally affect them, with ending unnecessary medical treatment on intersex people remaining one of the top five policy issues, alongside protections against discrimination and ending conversion practices.
“We represent a powerful voting bloc of over one million voters across Australia and together with our allies we have the collective strength to influence policy directions and electoral outcomes,” Ms Brown said.
“Our voices matter, our votes count, and our community's concerns deserve to be addressed with substantive policy solutions.”
In addition to the survey, the report includes a score card on the three years since the last election. It found the current federal government has made significant strides on LGBTIQ+ health and responses to domestic violence. They’ve also paved the way for greater inclusion in the Census for LGBTQ+ people, despite some setbacks.
The community was again let down after Labor failed to protect LGBTQ+ students and teachers in religious schools, despite their election commitment in 2022. This issue resonates strongly with voters, who ranked discrimination reform as the second most important LGBTIQ+ issue to address in Australia.
“Given the high rates of discrimination and stigma we experience it’s unsurprising that strengthening protections remains a top priority, including in religious schools where they can still legally expel a queer student or sack a gay teacher,” Ms Brown said.
A Rainbow Votes Election Forum will be held in Sydney in on April 15, giving LGBTIQ+ people around the country the chance to hear political representatives discuss the issues that matter most to them.
The sold-out event can now only be accessed online. More information about the event and report can be found here: https://equalityaustralia.org.au/our-work/rainbow-votes/
Media contact: Tara Ravens (0408 898 154) tara.ravens@equalityaustralia.org.au
