The sun will rise tomorrow morning and the sky over Tasmania will not fall in, following the passage of landmark human rights reforms through the Tasmanian Parliament this afternoon.
The amended Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018 is an historic, achievement. These are nation leading reforms that will provide transgender Tasmanians and their families with recognition and respect under the law.
The amendments to the Bill provide a framework for Tasmanians to register a gender that is consistent with their identity, and to choose whether or not it appears on their birth certificate.
All legal issues raised by the Liberal Government have been fully addressed in the Legislative Council’s amended Bill. For the Premier or Attorney General to state otherwise is simply misleading.
While the campaign behind these reforms has been ongoing for almost fifteen years, the legislation we passed today has undergone extensive consultation over the past four months.
Upper House members also heard from a wide range of groups during the months the Bill and its amendments were before the Legislative Council.
We acknowledge the incredible strength and tenacity shown by transgender and gender-diverse Tasmanians and their supporters who have advocated for these reforms and worked closely with MPs. We’re glad the majority of Tasmanian parliamentarians recognised their work and voted for change.
It is our sincerest hope this will be the end of the nasty disinformation campaign propagated by extreme groups and members of the Hodgman Government.
The adoption of this amended Bill will transform the lives of many transgender and non-binary Tasmanians. The 97-98% of Tasmanians who are not mentioned in the Bill, however are unlikely to even notice.
Just as it was with the vote on marriage equality, the sky is likely to remain in place with the passing of this legislation.
The sun will rise over Tasmania tomorrow morning as it always does, but for the people whose lives will be changed for the better by these reforms, it will shine a little brighter.
