Extract from my submission to the Victorian LGBTIQ Strategy

The following is a slightly edited copy of the key part of my submission to the Victorian LGBTIQ Strategy. I had hoped to write that up nicely, but I ran out of time and energy, so just responded online. This section is responding to a question about whether there is more to consider than what has been outlined in a discussion paper.

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No, there is more to consider. I wish to refer you to https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2020/07/a-draft-proposal-for-gold-standard-for.html  and https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2020/06/a-partial-preview-from-my-submission-on.html, which have more of my thoughts had I had the time and energy to write this up properly.

The issue of human rights for any group is a progressive development: when slavery was abolished in the USA, voting rights was revealed as the next issue; when voting was granted to women, being in Parliament and workplace discrimination was revealed as the next issue. I am PROUD of the changes that have been made in Victoria, but that does not mean there isn't a need for more.

The main issue is that of misgendering - i.e., using the wrong pronouns. I've explained my thoughts and rationale on that at the second link above.

There are also risks of forced deadnaming for all requirements for proof of identity / qualifications / police checks. Such requirements are an active block for TGD people seeking employment - and are often unnecessary (e.g., police checks cover an entire life - is that really necessary? Consider, for instance, someone who transitioned 30 years ago and has a new birth certificate from ~15 years ago: why do they have to give pre-transition names, which exposes them to risk of assault or abuse - as HAS happened in one Australia Post office for a close friend of mine). It is VITAL that such requirements be updated - especially in view of recent developments around expunging past convictions, and always be framed knowing that some people come from interstate in our more mobile modern world.

My final point here is around employment - not protecting and increasing numbers of LGBTIQ+ people, although that is also necessary, but ensuring that everyone else is at least aware of their personal biases. I suggest everyone who reaches the stage of interviews and cannot - or will not (friends have a right to privacy) - prove they have friends who are LGBTIQ+ or in other minority groups, be required to undertake a test of unconscious biases around LGBTIQ+ people (and race, gender, etc) and commit to dealing (through an annually monitored plan) with those biases.

Fourth point: there is more of a need to contradict common myths - for instance, that M2F women's voices changes after surgery. That is based on the higher voice of "castrati", but they have higher pitched voices because they were - brutally - denied male hormones during puberty. After puberty, there are no changes.

Fifth point: just because a magnificent change has been made, does not mean the damage done before that will disappear overnight. It takes years - but not only for the victim to heal (and survival is often a successful outcome from counselling, even if that leaves other trauma), for the active causation that was addressed by the change to be stamped out.

As an example, discrimination against women was banned in the 70s, I think, but we've still got misogynists. In those cases, the solution is addressing the bigots, not telling the victims to get healed, and not necessarily coming up with new laws.

Sixth point: activists tend to focus on where they are at, and what will enable better survival for them. Thus, TGD people at transition are often happy to provide pronouns - but when you've had to do it for decades, and have often encountered situations where such requests are passive-aggressive, you know there are limits that should be imposed (refer to linked post above).