The rainbow has been synonymous with freedom and individuality for so long, but for many LGBT people, it is also a way to show support for those who are at risk of being discriminated against in the workplace.
A recent survey commissioned by the Equality Commission of Australia found that 42% of LGBT people said they felt that they were discriminated against, while 29% said they were in denial of discrimination.
A 2015 survey by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) found that just under a quarter of Australians were “somewhat or very” or “very” aware of LGBTIQ+ people’s experiences of discrimination, while 26% were “very aware” and 26% “slightly” aware.
The results are not the only reason why Australia has a large number of LGBTI+ people.
While the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines LGBTI as a person who is either: – a person of the same sex, who is a member of a same-sex couple; or – someone who identifies with a group of people who are not themselves the same-gender, transgender or intersex people, or people who do not identify with any of these.
A small number of Australians identify as LGBTI, and the vast majority are not discriminated against.
A spokesperson for the Australian Labor Party told Al Jazeera that while the ALP supports the rights of LGBT persons, it does not support any form of discrimination against LGBTI people.
The spokesperson said that, in terms of workplace discrimination, the party supports the right to a safe workplace.
The ALP did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment about the survey findings.
LGBTIQ+ workers and community activists say that the lack of understanding around the existence of LGBTQ+ people is often the result of an overall lack of education, particularly among the young.
“The lack of knowledge and understanding is very, very common, and it can also be caused by the fact that people in the LGBTIQ community do not have an understanding of how they fit into the Australian community,” said Jessica Fong, the national executive director of The Australian LGBTI Human Rights Network.
“I think one of the biggest things is the invisibility of people of colour in the community.”
Fong said that because of this, there is a significant risk that LGBTIQ people are not able to be included in a conversation about workplace discrimination that could have a positive impact.
The Equality Commission has launched an investigation into the lack and marginalisation of LGBT individuals in Australia, and said it is keen to work with government and other agencies to identify barriers to the inclusion of LGBT+ people in Australia’s workforce.
The commission said that it is “committed to improving the representation of the LGBTI community in the Australian workplace” and that the “LGBTIQ+ community is not only a diverse group, but it also has an important role to play in helping to shape our society.”
But the report’s findings do not appear to be shared by many other organisations in the field.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACUTU), which represents employers and employees, has recently come out in support of an effort to promote inclusion of people with LGBTIQ backgrounds in the workforce.
“In the workplace, LGBTIQ individuals are often overlooked, excluded and undervalued,” the ACUTU said in a statement.
“As such, the ACU will be continuing to work closely with the ABS to promote and understand the diversity of the Australian workforce.”
A spokesperson from the Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACLC) told Aljazeera that it was “very concerned” about the findings of the survey, and is working to “develop a national policy to support the inclusion and protection of LGBT employees”.
In the meantime, a number of other organisations are taking a stand against workplace discrimination.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released a statement this week that said that the survey results “provide further evidence that LGBT+ Australians are under-represented in the formal and informal workforce, and therefore that the federal government should continue to take action to ensure equal employment opportunities for all”.
The HRC also said that in the long-term, it hoped that the government would “recognise the important role that LGBTI Australians play in the labour force”.
A spokesperson said the HRC was “compelled to take a stand to ensure that we do not continue to be excluded from equal employment opportunity opportunities and protection”.
“In addition to highlighting the importance of workplace diversity for LGBTI and trans people, we are also compelled to highlight the important and growing role of LGBT and gender diverse workers in our communities,” the spokesperson added.
For example, the HRC highlighted that there are a number LGBT+ organisations, such as the Gay and Lesbian Australian and Trans Health Service (GLAST), the National Gay and Trans Men’s Resource Centre (NGMSRC), the Rainbow Families Resource Centre and the Rainbow Pregnancy Centre, that have their own resources for LGBT+ and gender-queer people.
But the HRC also criticised
