Leading Tasmanian gay rights activist to hand back AM if federal bill passes

The federal government’s Religious Discrimination Bill overrides Tasmania’s “gold-standard” Anti-Discrimination Act according to a leading gay rights advocate – while a Tassie senator calls to have it thrown out.

Gay rights activist Rodney Croome says he will hand back his Order of Australia honour if the Religious Discrimination Bill passes as it is – while Senator Jacqui Lambie has urged Tasmanian senators to put the state first and oppose it.

Mr Croome, a spokesman for Equality Tasmania, said the federal bill overrides Tasmania’s “gold-standard” Anti-Discrimination Act.

“It was a hard decision but the right one, given the circumstances,” Mr Croome said.

“In 2003 I received an Order of Australia because of my role in helping to decriminalise homosexuality in Tasmania and pass the Anti-Discrimination Act which inaugurated a new and more inclusive Tasmania.

Rodney Croome, from Equality Tasmania, says the new Religious Discrimination Bill will weaken Tasmania's anti-discrimination laws and open the doors to bigotry. Picture: Kenji Sato

“If both major parties support Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act being overridden by the federal Religious Discrimination Bill they will be sending the message that they don’t value our achievement in Tasmania any more, or worse that our achievement is somehow a threat to freedom and faith.

“If the Religious Discrimination Bill is allowed to override Tasmania’s gold standard Anti-Discrimination Act it will render my Order of Australia worthless because the nation will effectively be saying it doesn’t value our Act and what it stands for.”

Mr Croome was appointed a member of the Order of Australia – one of the highest honours.

Senator Lambie said she would fight the laws which weakened Tasmania’s anti-discrimination laws.

Senator Jacqui Lambie. Picture: David Gray

“Rodney’s given me a lot of good advice over the years, if I can give one piece of advice back, it’s that the fight isn’t over until it’s won,” she said.

“We have state-based anti-discrimination laws that are supported by the Liberal State Government, Labor State Opposition and the Tasmanian Greens.

“Tasmanian Liberals don’t want this legislation. Tasmanian Labor don’t want this legislation.

“It means less protection for Tasmanians no matter who they are or what they believe.

“The question for every Tasmanian Senator here is whether you’re going to put Tasmanians first, or your party’s leader first.

“If the leader of my party told me to vote to make Tasmanians’ lives worse, I’d leave the party. I’d just ask Tasmania’s other 11 Senators what they’d do.”

Parliament House in Canberra, with the Morrison government’s Religious Discrimination Bill at the centre of debate. Picture: Gary Ramage

Mr Croome said amendments proposed by the government made the bill even worse for Tasmania and Labor amendments would not protect Tasmanian teachers in faith- based schools.

“We completely reject the government’s proposal to only protect gay students from expulsion, and to not protect trans, gender diverse and intersex students at all,” he said.

“The message sent by the pointed exclusion of transgender and intersex young people from the Government’s proposal is that they are fair game for discrimination and mistreatment.”

Former Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, urged the government to withdraw the bill “and start again”.

Political analyst Professor Richard Herr said it was not uncommon for people to refuse to accept honours or give them back.

“It a strong, strong protest to hand it back,” he said.