Advocacy
Advocating for your child might be speaking up for their needs, rights or interests and can happen in private or public arenas. Some parents choose to advocate for the wider gender diverse community which may involve writing letters to members of parliament, creating petitions or involvement in advocacy groups.
Here’s a list of resources to help you with advocacy work if you’d like to engage in it. This includes some key documents you may like to refer to as well as some organisations/resources that might be helpful. Before advocating publicly this guide is a helpful resource for deciding whether it is the right move for your and your family.
Key documents
Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents aim to maximise quality care provision to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents across Australia, while recognising the unique circumstances of providing such care to this population.
Standards of Care – WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health promotes the highest standards of health care for individuals through the articulation of Standards of Care (SOC) for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People. The SOC are based on the best available science and expert professional consensus.
Standards of Care – AusPATH – The Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) is Australia’s peak body for professionals involved in the health, rights and well-being of all trans people – binary and non-binary. They have published a number of documents on standards of care and statements regarding specific issues.
The Australian Human Rights Commission guidance on issues of violence, harassment and bullying involving LGBTI communities.
Sport Australia partnered with the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports to develop Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.
Bullying resources
Australian parent, child and educator resources on helping children deal with bullying, aggression and violence.
Australian parent and educator resources on helping LGBTQ children deal with cyberbullying.
Legal resources
Justice Connect provide state-by-state self-help resources for gender diverse young people. This includes information on updating gender on formal documents, legally changing name and rights at school. Justice Connect also provide free legal services to those who are eligible.
Youth Law Australia provides free and confidential legal advice, assistance and referrals to young people under 25 and their advocates. You can request and receive free and confidential legal advice through their online service.
The Trans and Gender Diverse Legal Service offers support for transgender and gender diverse people experiencing legal problems who are based in New South Wales.
Q+Law provides a free, state-wide, safe entry point for legal assistance for all LGBTIQA+ Victorians. Contact the service for initial advice, information or referral via phone, online or in person.
The LGBTI Legal Service Inc provides free and confidential advice to the LGBTIQA+ community throughout Queensland.
Guidance produced by the Darwin Community Legal Service on addressing LGBTIQ+ discrimination.
Equality Australia strive to ensure that LGBTIQ+ people are equal in Australia. They share information and resources and use their legal, policy and communications expertise, to ensure that organisations have the right tools to deliver for the LGBTIQ+ community.
Trans justice project is the first trans-led national campaigning organisation. Their mission is to connect, coordinate, train, and build a powerful movement standing up for justice, freedom, and equality for all trans and gender diverse people. Their site contains information for allies wanting to help.
Contacting your local member of Parliament
Members of Parliament (MPs) can represent their constituents in a number of ways. They can:
- introduce a bill to change the law
- propose an amendment to a bill to change the law
- participate as a member of a committee to deal with a particular bill or issue
- speak in a debate in Parliament about a bill or an issue
- ask a government minister a question
- request consideration of matters by, or ask a question of, a person or organisation
- table a petition in Parliament
Contact your local member here:
Parliament of Western Australia
Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of Victoria
Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of Tasmania
Parliament of the Northern Territory
Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory
Information on how to address senators and members of parliament.
A free open source website sharing how representatives in parliament vote on issues in an accessible and easy to use format. Search by member’s name, postcode or by policies.
State and territory Equal Opportunity Commissions
Equal opportunity commissions are bodies that aim to promote equality between citizens and prevent discrimination and prejudice.
Contact your local Commission here:
Western Australia
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
The NDIA is an independent statutory agency. Their role is to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which supports a better life for Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers. Access their LGBTIQA+ Strategy to read about their commitment to being respectful and responsive to the diverse needs of people with disability who identify as LGBTIQA+, their families, carers and communities. You can also provide feedback on your experiences of the NDIS by joining Participant First.