Equality Project Description

The Equality Project is an initiative of the ANU Law Reform and Social Justice Program formed in 2011 in response to the Federal Government’s plan to consolidate its pieces of anti-discrimination legislation (Sex Discrimination Act 1984, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Age Discrimination Act 2004) into the one statute.  An act to protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of sexuality and sex and gender identity is notably absent from those pieces of legislation. 

The Equality Project’s goal is thus to ensure that sexuality and sex and gender identity are included in the new consolidated Act as protected attributes, and that the protection afforded to them be adequate.

In January 2012, the Equality Project responded to the Government’s discussion paper regarding the new Act.  Various submissions were made concerning the definitions of sexuality and sex and gender identity to be included and the scope of and mechanism behind any possible exemptions contained in the Act.

The Equality Project is now eagerly awaiting the Government’s release of the draft legislation, and has in the meantime been working on other endeavours such as an article regarding the consolidation project to be published in LegalDate, a journal distributed to high school legal studies students on law reform issues.

In the future, the Equality Project plans to broaden its focus to anti-discrimination concerns in general while maintaining its dedication to LGBTI legal issues.

The group is also planning monthly, informal meals, to facilitate discussion about gender and sexuality related legal issues.  Everyone is welcome to attend - please email for inclusion on the dinner invitation email list, and we'll let you know when our next meal is held. 

  John Klogoppie and Mollie Bolland at a project workshop          

  Team Leader Morgan Campbell

For more information about the this project, please contact lrsj@law.anu.edu.au.