A leading LGBT activist has threatened to hand back his Order of Australia if Scott Morrison’s religious discrimination bill is passed in its current form.
Rodney Croome, a former director of the Australian Marriage Equality and Tasmanian of the Year, was awarded the honour for his role in the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the state.
But he said if the religious discrimination Bill passed, it was clear leaders no longer valued his contribution.
“In 2003 I was made a Member of the Order of Australia because of my role in the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality and pass the Anti-Discrimination Act,” Mr Croome wrote in an opinion piece.
“It was a moment of great pride for me and other advocates because it showed the nation valued our contribution.
“If the Religious Discrimination Bill passes in its current form, which would require the support of both major parties given dissent in Liberal ranks, it will effectively revoke the nation’s approval and instead declare our achievement to be a threat to faith and freedom.”
Mr Morrison has just nine sitting days to pass the Bill he promised more than three years ago. The Bill would protect people of faith from vilification on the basis of their religion, but a contentious statement of belief clause has raised the ire of many advocates. The clause allows Australians to make statements of religious belief under the protection of federal law as long as they are made “in good faith”, are not malicious and in accordance with the beliefs or teachings of the that religion.
Mr Croome accused the Prime Minister of scarifying Tasmania “on the altar of winning votes in western Sydney”.
“The big loser is always the national LGBTIQ+ community,” he said.
“The knowledge that things won’t always get better and that our gains can be unravelled so easily will inevitably chill the ardour of many prospective queer community leaders.”
Mr Croome’s threat comes just a day after Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer told the parliament she was “horrified” by the legislation, which overrides Tasmania’s anti-discrimination law.
“After so much progress, how did we get back to a place where we ignore the harm we place on children when we tell them they are other, less than and do not deserve rights and protections afforded to others?” she said.
NSW Liberal moderate Trent Zimmerman has indicated he will reserve his right to cross the floor to vote against the Bill, while Dave Sharma, Katie Allen, Fiona Martin and Andrew Bragg have also raised concerns.
A marathon meeting of Labor caucus ended with the opposition resolving to support the Bill in the lower house.
It will then move amendments to the statement of belief clause and beef up changes to the Sex Discrimination Act to protect teachers and students on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity.
Earlier, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr called on his federal counterparts to oppose the legislation, suggesting it will be “problematic” if Labor supports it while members of the government cross the floor.
Speaking to reporters, Greens leader Adam Bandt said it was a “sad day” that Liberal moderates were looking to be more progressxjmtzywive than the Labor Party.
