It's careless and cynical for Parliament to debate my right to be seen for who I am

I find myself sitting in the media gallery of the Queensland Parliament at 5.30 on a Tuesday evening, looking down on a very sparsely populated chamber of people, readying for a debate about a private member's bill.

I'm the only one sitting in view. The other journalists are off filing their stories and don't need to focus on this one bill but it's of interest to me because in a way it's about me.

Alexis Pink on her first day in the Queensland media gallery.

Before I break a cardinal rule of good journalism and write a whole story about myself, let's first talk about the Anti-Discrimination (Right to Use Gender-Specific Language) Amendment Bill 2018.

The bill proposed a change to Queensland's newly minted human rights framework, focusing on two things.

First, protections for individuals against discrimination for the use of gendered pronouns. Second, to protect businesses and organisations from disadvantage in the provision of facilities where those organisations exclusively recognise the traditional male-female gender binary.

The bill was proposed by Katter's Australia Party leader Robbie Katter, son of Bob, the Member for Kennedy who infamously pledged to walk backwards from Bourke to Brisbane if there was a gay person living in his massive northern Queensland electorate.

As the younger Katter starts his second-reading speech, he reminds us this is not about any transgender or non-binary person.

"If someone politely – not even politely – asked me to use something different, I would be quite happy to do it, and I think most people would. I should not be forced to change the primary language I have been using and brought up with for that purpose," he said.

The thing is, I am inclined to believe his words.

You see, I'm the only openly transgender journalist in the Queensland press gallery currently, and quite possibly the only one ever. It's been a tough journey professionally as well, carrying out a mid-career switch into a difficult job market as a part-time volunteer journalist with community radio station 4ZZZ, which has been nothing but supportive from day one.

As you could imagine, I cut an unusual figure around the grounds. But to their credit, most people have been polite, including Mr Katter. That's why this seems so strange, even now. Why do this at all if you think it's not a big deal?

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath stressed the bill was unnecessary, solving no widespread problem in our society while introducing classes of discrimination that protect businesses.

Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman read a list of messages from constituents who felt marginalised and unsafe as a result of the bill and reminded MPs it was being debated on international non-binary people's day.

The Liberal National Party sided with Labor to ensure the bill failed, but not without staking out some territory.

"While acknowledging the concerns of the mover of the private member's bill, ultimately a legislature cannot legislate common sense," Shadow Attorney-General David Janetski said in his closing statement.

This bill existed because a person was reportedly marked down on an assignment for using "mankind" in an essay – a claim the Queensland university in question denies. It did occur to me that "humankind" was more technically correct, but maybe that's just a nitpick.

After the debate, a few people asked how I was feeling and, unsurprisingly, most were women. Tackling the use of language to undermine women has been the focus of feminist movements for generations.

Labor Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad reminded us there were no transgender and non-binary-identifying people in Parliament in Queensland. Maybe that's why I thought it so important to go and sit in the media gallery in full and prominent view, taking notes and just watching.

Regardless of Mr Katter's insistence that this bill is not about me or any other transgender or non-binary person, that's not the case. For all the silliness, carelessness, cynical politics and eye-rolling stupidity, it is fundamentally hurtful to hear people debate the right to be seen for who you are.

Alexis Pink is a member of the Queensland Parliament media gallery, reporting for 4ZZZ.