The Government’s refusal to include questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in the 2026 Census is a troubling and distressing decision that undermines the inclusion of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community. While the Government claims to be avoiding divisive debates on sensitive topics, its actions have only deepened the sense of exclusion felt by LGBTQIA+ individuals across the nation.
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) has been closely monitoring these developments with growing concern. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) dedicated considerable time and effort to consulting LGBTQIA+ communities and expert stakeholders on the proposed Census questions, only for their work to be dismissed by political leaders.
Commenting on this week’s reluctant concession to include a single question on sexuality is inadequate Sally Moyle, Vice President of the NFAW says, “this action fails to recognize the diverse experiences of trans, intersex, and gender-fluid communities. While it may seem like a small step forward, it directly contradicts the Government’s own guidelines, published just in July, which emphasize the importance of considering “sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics, and sexual orientation at all stages of the research project”.
The National Foundation for Australian Women calls on the Government to reverse its decision and to allow, for the first time, the Australian Census to properly and fully count the LGBTQIA+ community.
Says Moyle, “this blatant political interference in scientific research further marginalizes a community already too often used as a political football, undermining the potential for accurate health and social policy development”.
About the National Foundation for Australian Women:
NFAW is a leading feminist organisation in Australia dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research and education.
www.nfaw.org
For more information, contact:
Sally Moyle, Vice President, 0400 167 927
Helen Hodgson, Chair, Social Policy Committee, 0418 906 162 (note WA)
