As a longtime partner of the Equality Project and the Better Together Conferences, including the conference in Adelaide in October, we feel that it is necessary to respond to a problematic Better Together podcast episode recently published on the Equality Project website, and the corresponding presentation planned for the 2025 conference.
The podcast included views about the trans community that are harmful and ideologically driven, alongside a belief that this warranted a “brave conversation” as part of the current LGBTIQA+ movements or campaigns.
The conversation was not based on clinical evidence or the lived experience of our trans community from across the world, including Australia. These views lean on cherry-picked, problematic research and government-funded consultation reports that do not include the voices of those being spoken about in relation to a range of issues.
The interviewee and interviewer felt that in the name of LGBTIQA+ “movements”, they had a right to a voice despite clearly lacking any nuanced understanding, research or lived experience in these areas. This is not the first time LGBTIQA+ equality movements have erased the experience of our trans siblings in order to ‘pass’ to mainstream, or appease the right.
The presenters have justified their rhetoric as a “brave conversation”; however, there is nothing brave about contributing to harmful and inaccurate information about the trans community, a group which is so often spoken about, undermined and criticised but rarely spoken with, believed, or validated.
We raised our concerns with the Equality Project, and due to their lack of an appropriate response, we gave our staff the option to withdraw from presenting at this year’s conference. Some have chosen to do so. Some, including our QHUB staff, have decided to continue with their planned presentation as an act of resistance against this rhetoric, and to highlight the importance of services for all LGBTIQA+ young people, including trans people (who make up 64% of the individuals QHub supports).
Following the discussions between Drummond Street Services/Queerspace and Better Together, we have observed a clear difference in our values. As an evidence-based health organisation deeply committed to wellbeing and access to healthcare for trans people, we will not be attending or supporting future Better Together conferences.
This position will not change until the Equality Project remove the podcast and enter a restorative, accountable and educative process with the trans community.
Trans people have always existed, and they deserve to be respected and included, especially from within the LGBTIQA+ community.
No queer without the T.
Karen Field