Review of 2021 Census Topics

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community are estimated to make up around 11% of the Australian population, however our ability to capture data in the space has historically been severely limited. It is very important to make sure measures are put in place to assist with better data collection on this under-represented community cohort. Banyule City Council requests that provisions be made in the 2021 census to include questions that address, sex, gender and sexuality.

This data is of current national importance because as previously mentioned, the Australian Human Rights Commission currently estimates that 11% of the population identify as sex, sexuality and/or gender diverse. This is a very large cohort of the total population and worthy of national attention, particular given that there is currently very little data collected at federal, state or local levels. Currently this makes it very difficult to provide substantive support for policy development, planning or program monitoring. This data would also fill huge gaps in current research opportunities in this space.

As these questions are applicable to the whole of population, it would be very beneficial to understand the health and wellbeing of the LGBTI community by combining with other characteristics collected in the Census.

Whilst for a small percentage of the population the questions on this topic may seem controversial, the questions would be simple but provide people with more options for their answers than previously offered, and are easy for most people to answer.

The topic may be considered a little controversial for some respondents but this doesn't mean it should be asked- it is an opportunity to continue to raise awareness and understanding in the broader community on topics of sex, sexuality and gender diversity and normalize conversations in this space.

In 2016 the ABS put unnecessary steps in place for people who wanted to identify themselves as trans. These additional barriers are discriminatory and made it more difficult for people to accurately report. By simply providing additional options for people to answer in relation to sex, sexuality and gender, should not create extra work or coding difficulties, and for the population who do not identify as part of the LGBTI community, they will already know how to answer for themselves. The number of response categories should not be considered as something arduous, this is an irrelevant point. Our language is so limited in this space and it is rapidly evolving so to come to a consensus on categories at this point in time may be difficult but this should not be a barrier to providing these options to respondents, and should be continued to be developed and crafted into future years to keep up with changes.

Limited data that is currently available show that increasing numbers of people are identifying as being part of the LGBTI community, so will be important to track changes over a time series. Sex, sexuality and gender is an inherent part of human identity and will always be relevant in the future.

All nation-wide sources are generally estimates currently, in relation to LGBTI community members. Hard data is vital.

There should be absolutely no additional barriers put in place for those who wish to answer questions that relate to sex, sexuality and gender diversity. If so, it is considered to be systemic discrimination.

As a local government, we would like to be able to better understand our community and how they identify. In our Inclusion, Access and Equity Framework we have identified that the LGBTI community experience higher levels of experience and exclusion. As they make up a significant cohort of the population, it is our role to promote respect and social cohesion, to make our community a better place to live. Having data on this cohort is of vital important to achieving this.