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AT3 Transformative Action

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    Mitchell
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Equality is the right to have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic and without any discrimination or prejudice. This is a crucial aspect of human rights and should be consistent all around the world but unfortunately, it is not. Many countries still do not uphold this fundamental human right.

Australia has been progressing further to support the rights of those marginalised. For example, same-sex activity is allowed in all states of Australia and conversion theory is banned in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), NSW (New South Wales), QLD (Queensland), and VIC (Victoria) (Acton, 2017; www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au, n.d.). Unfortunately, Australia is one of the very few countries that support LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer) people.

Comparing the United States to Australia, they have made significantly less progress in supporting the rights of marginalised people. In May 2023, over 70 anti-LGBTQ laws were enacted just that year. Including but not limited to:

  • Laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth: 15
  • Laws requiring or allowing misgendering of transgender students: 7
  • Laws targeting drag performances: 2
  • Laws creating a license to discriminate: 3
  • Laws censoring school curriculum, including books: 4

(source: https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/roundup-of-anti-lgbtq-legislation-advancing-in-states-across-the-country)

The most aggressive states include Florida, North Dakota, Tennessee and Texas (Human Rights Campaign, 2023). All states are dominated by the Republican party (Wikipedia; WiseVoter, 2023). An initiative that helps to fight against these injustices is the Human Rights Campaign which fights for the rights of LGBTQ people and people of colour.

If the Republican party wins the 2024 election, "Project 2025" will be launched to instate policies that will strip away the rights of LGBTQ people (Thompson, Esseks and Cooper, 2024), as well as remove the independence of critical parts of the government like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) (Mystal, 2024).

I'll be evaluating two organisations that aim to provide support to LGBTQ people: Equality Australia and The Trevor Project, both have existed for over 4 decades and 2 decades, respectively (Human Rights Campaign, 2023; The Trevor Project, n.d.). They have been successful in promoting a healthier environment for these people.

First up is Equality Australia which not only aims to fight for equal rights for everyone, including people of colour and LGBTQ people, but also to fight against discrimination and hate speech. According to Equality Australia's About Us page, they are a "national organisation dedicated to equality for LGBTIQ+ people".

They aim to reduce the bullying and discrimination that LGBTQ people face in society by promoting equality and inclusion for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. According to multiple sources, including the Equality Australia strategic plan and the LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, LGBTIQ+ people are not included in the national census not providing appropriate questions.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document that was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 after World War II. It is a global declaration of human rights that outlines the basic rights and freedoms that every person is entitled to.

Some articles that fall under protecting the rights of everyone (but more specifically, people of colour and LGBTQ people) are:

  • Article 1:

    All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

  • Article 2:

    Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

  • Article 5:

    No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

  • Article 7:

    All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

  • Article 12:

    No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

  • Article 30:

    Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

(source: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights)

There are a couple of Catholic Social Teachings that link to this topic, for example: Human Dignity, The Common Good, and Solidarity. Pope Francis has shown support for LGBTQ people in his speeches and writings. A quote from the Human Rights Campaign cited that Pope Francis said:

If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?

We have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their [LGBTQ+] son or daughter.

Women are also treated differently in other countries. For example, the story of Memory, a young woman who grew up in the Mwanza district of Malawi. She ended up graduating with a certificate in Carpentry and Joinery. She defied the expectations of society and managed to become the first woman carpenter.

As you can see these exclusions within our society are not limited to just the LGBTQ+ community. Many other groups are marginalised and discriminated against—for example, people of colour, people with disabilities, and people from different religions.

It's time for us to take action and fight for equal rights for everyone, regardless of any characteristics they may have. We need to stand up against discrimination and work towards a more inclusive and equal society.

References

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