We’ve put Ballarat Council on notice
The City of Ballarat have signed up to an LGBTIQ “inclusion” plan, but does this best support the inclusion of same-sex attracted people? Lesbians,Gays and Bisexuals have been redefined as people who are attracted to people of the same gender and not sex in the plan. So if you don’t agree with the gender narrative, then no, it does not include you. Here is our letter to the City of Ballarat Councillors who unanimously voted the plan in on Wednesday November 2nd, 2022.
Postscript: It appears that Ballarat Council have deleted the definitions from the plan that was endorsed by Council. However, the draft plan is still live on the Internet and there is no identification that this is a draft version and is therefore confusing and misleading.
31 October, 2022
Dear Councillors of the City of Ballarat,
We have been asked to contact you by some of your ratepayers who are concerned about the recent passing of the LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan in its current form.
LGB Alliance Australia is a national organisation who represent the interests and rights of same-sex attracted people including gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. You can read about our work at https://www.lgballiance.org.au/
Your ratepayers have told us that the consultation process around this plan was inadequate and that members in your community who are LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) are afraid to speak out. So we will speak for them. Members of the LGB community did go to community consultations and expressed reservations about several issues with the plan.
While on the surface an LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan seems like a good idea, it is a flawed concept on several levels. Firstly, it undermines the rights of women and children to have safe, same-sex only public changerooms and toilets. Women and children need sex-specific facilities in public because they are overwhelmingly the target of predators, who are disproportionately male. This was brought up in the consultation process.
LGB people who do not want to be associated with the dominant LGBTIQ+ narrative face ostracisation from within their own movement and community. And there is a large and growing population of LGB who do not agree with queer and trans ideology and have distanced themselves from anything LGBTIQ+. Many LGB individuals no longer feel represented by mainstream LGBTIQ organisations. LGB Alliance Australia exists because of this.
The LGBTIQ is not a homogenous group. One size does not fit all and it has become apparent to us that the rights of the LGB are being undermined by the TQ+, particularly in regard to erasing the protected class of sex and replacing it with the nebulous concept of gender..
Your plan erroneously redefines what a lesbian is; “an individual who identifies as a woman and is sexually and/or romantically attracted to other people who identify as women.” NO! A lesbian is a human female who is exclusively sexually and romantically attracted to other human females. Lesbians are not “people who identify as women”. The plan also redefines gay men in the same way. This is a deeply homophobic concept, undermining sex as a protected class. These points were brought up in the consultation process but have been ignored.
By implementing the LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan, you have endorsed irreparable harm to healthy childrens’ bodies (and minds) when they are too young to consent or comprehend the consequences of the permanent changes “transitioning” brings. If given the space to simply be gender nonconforming, or socially but not medically transition, research has shown most will resolve their gender incongruence themselves in early adulthood. The majority will be LGB.
A large body of evidence shows a strong correlation between gender nonconformity and dysphoria in children and adults who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. This evidence is not hard to find. However, it has been ignored by LGBTQ groups advising governance to organisations about policy for people experiencing gender incongruence. With LGB people overrepresented amongst rising numbers of detransitioners, harms include sterilisation and castration, loss of sexual function and sensation, nerve damage, painful scar tissue, infection, bone density loss, bladder issues, chronic pain, and other medical complications. The psychological difficulties of those who experienced clinician-enabled harm are complex.
Your plan says “There are no losers in this. Everybody will benefit.” Actually, we disagree - and we know that evidence backs us up. There is a lot to lose for many people, including vulnerable groups, such as same-sex attracted individuals, children, and women.
While we fully support trans and gender diverse people leading fulfilling and happy lives, free from harm or discrimination, we acknowledge there is a conflict that needs robust discussion where everyone is able to have their say without fear of retribution. This is not the case for many LGB who don’t agree with the gender narrative. It is not safe for them to speak out and they have been rejected and abused by members of the LGBTIQ community.
Given that we are talking about grievous physical and emotional harm, involving sterilisation, removal of organs and permanent injuries to LGB and other vulnerable people, there will inevitably be legal cases. In sending you this letter, we are providing you with the means to critically examine the needs of your community; particularly LGB youth and other people vulnerable to the networked surge in trans identification. We urge you to base your policies on high quality evidence rather than inconclusive, poor-quality statements pushed by queer ideology.
LGB Alliance Australia welcomes constructive and informed dialogue. We are happy to send a representative to discuss this further with your Councillors.
With best regards,
The LGB Alliance Australia team