NTEU SUPPORT OF RIGHTS OF PEOPLE OF DIVERSE SEXUALITIES AND GENDERS 
 
NTEU is committed to protecting the industrial, professional and civil rights of people of diverse sexualities and genders. NTEU asserts the rights of people of diverse sexualities and genders and rejects discrimination and sexual harassment in all its forms. 

NTEU notes:

  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other gender and sexuality diverse people (LGBTQIA+) have always played an active role in the union movement.
  • Homophobia, heterosexism, biphobia, intersexphobia, transphobia, and other forms of prejudice and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people occurs in the workplace in Australia and worldwide.
  • Recent attacks against LGBTQIA+ people are a serious concern to our members and their communities and must be resisted actively.
  • LGBTQIA+ people have the right to safe and equitable conditions inside and outside workplaces.  

  • People with diverse sex characteristics are a distinct community with significant overlap with the queer community who face some shared and some unique barriers to equality.
  • Academic spaces can be unique sites for perpetuating hate speech against LGBTQIA+ people, such as transphobia.
  • Universities play a role in reproducing systems of knowledge that lead to a poor understanding of the medical, legal and social needs (and rights) of people with diverse sex characteristics.
  • Publicly affirm that transphobia is not welcome in society or in our union;
  • Take steps to ensure staff and officers of the Union do not discriminate against LGBTQIA+ members;
  • Include LGBTQIA+ people in decisions, including by the National Executive, made about LGBTQIA+ matters, based on the principle of “Nothing about us without us.”;
  • Ensure all Union publications and policies, and NTEU-drafted bargaining clauses and university policies use inclusive language;
  • Resource LGBTQIA+ organising in the Union with dedicated resources. For example, nominated staff with dedicated responsibilities for LGBTQIA+ organising;
  • Ensure LGBTQIA+ people have the option to identify themselves in all methods of joining the NTEU. Gender selection on NTEU membership forms, both online and offline, will be amended where necessary in consultation with the QUTE Steering Committee;  and
  • Ensure restricted access to members’ LGBTQIA+ status in consultation with the QUTE Steering Committee.

NTEU believes:

  • Research that involves LGBTQIA+ communities needs to be academically rigorous and ethically grounded. Ideally it should include direct input from LGBTQIA+ communities.
  • Academic freedom is not an excuse for vilifying LGBTQIA+ people.
  • The Union should be an active, not passive, proponent for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • These efforts should as much as possible be led by LGBTQIA+ unionists but not fall exclusively to them.
  • Prejudice against LGBTQIA+ people is not and will never be tolerated in our workplaces or our union, regardless of origin.
  • We have an obligation as a union to be active in the fight to improve outcomes for people with diverse sex characteristics, for example through better education of our medical and allied health members.

NTEU will:

  • Publicly affirm that transphobia is not welcome in society or in our union;
  • Take steps to ensure staff and officers of the Union do not discriminate against LGBTQIA+ members;
  • Include LGBTQIA+ people in decisions, including by the National Executive, made about LGBTQIA+ matters, based on the principle of “Nothing about us without us.”;
  • Ensure all Union publications and policies, and NTEU-drafted bargaining clauses and university policies use inclusive language;
  • Resource LGBTQIA+ organising in the Union with dedicated resources. For example, nominated staff with dedicated responsibilities for LGBTQIA+ organising;
  • Ensure LGBTQIA+ people have the option to identify themselves in all methods of joining the NTEU. Gender selection on NTEU membership forms, both online and offline, will be amended where necessary in consultation with the QUTE Steering Committee;  and
  • Ensure restricted access to members’ LGBTQIA+ status in consultation with the QUTE Steering Committee.