A Tasmanian Liberal conscience vote on transgender law reform will diffuse potential hate campaigns

2019 is the thirtieth anniversary of one of the worst episodes in modern Tasmanian history.

In June 1989 Ulverstone hosted Australia's first ever public rally against decriminalising homosexuality, with rallies to follow in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.

A particularly nasty aspect of these rallies was how Liberal MPs sat in the front row applauding anti-gay speakers because the plan to decriminalise had been proposed by Labor and the Greens.

Those angry rallies tore families and communities apart, and most Tasmanians hope they never happen again.

But tragically, we are seeing a return to politicised prejudice against LGBTI people.

The State Liberal Government is deeply hostile to Labor and Green transgender law reform proposals.

The proposals will do several things, including protecting transgender people from hate speech, after this protection was accidentally removed from the Anti-Discrimination Act a few years ago.

But the two main points of concern about the transgender law reform proposals seem to be these:

First, they will remove the requirement that transgender people have surgery before they can amend their birth certificates so their true gender is officially recognised.

Second, they will allow people to choose not to have gender marked on their birth certificates, including allowing parents that choice in the case of children.

The Government says these proposals have no place in its original legislation which was about bringing Tasmania into line with marriage equality at a federal level.

But when you look at what the Government's legislation actually deals with, that objection makes no sense.