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Timeline of progress towards LGBTIQA+ equality

Victoria is leading the way in legislative and historic firsts for LGBTIQA+ Victorians. Find out what has been happening.

Historic timeline

17 May 2022

The Rainbow Ready roadmap is a set of resources for Victorian rural and regional communities to build lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) inclusion. The roadmap supports the Victorian Government’s Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ strategy 2022-32 by enabling the creation of safe, strong and sustainable communities.

7 February 2022

Victoria’s first whole-of-government LGBTIQ+ strategy, Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ strategy 2022-32, provides the vision and plan to drive equality and inclusion for Victoria’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) communities within all aspects of government work over the next decade.

26 October 2021

To better protect against discrimination for intersex Victorians, sex characteristics are added as a protected attribute under the Equal Opportunity Act.

11 July 2021

The centre is the first of its kind in Australia. It celebrates Victoria’s diverse LGBTIQ+ communities, honours their past, and supports LGBTIQ+ organisations and groups to continue working towards equality.

4 February 2021

Victorian Government legislation banning practices that seeking to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are passed by the Victorian Parliament.

28 August 2019

Trans and gender diverse Victorians wanting to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate no longer need to undergo sex affirmation surgery under laws passed by the Victorian Government.

22 May 2018

Married trans and gender diverse people in Victoria are no longer forced to divorce when they legally correct the sex on their birth certificate.

15 May 2017

The Governor hosts an event for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia and discrimination against people with an intersex variation. “We look forward to a day when an occasion like this will be rather commonplace – or better still, unnecessary,” Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau said

17 March 2017

It is announced that Australia’s first purpose-built pride centre will be built on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda.

November 2016

Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities Ro Allen (then known as the Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality) begins a roadshow across regional and rural Victoria to promote LGBTIQ+ inclusion. This first phase lasted until June 2017, and has had lasting implications on the Equality portfolio’s work. It was followed by a central Community of Practice, which grew into numerous rural and regional communities of practice, resulting in the Rainbow Ready Roadmap resources, now in development.

1 September 2016

Changes to the Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Act 2015 in Victoria allow couples to adopt regardless of their sex or gender identity.

16 June 2016

2,500 Victorians gather in Federation Square to show solidarity following the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando where 49 people were killed.

24 May 2016

Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the shameful historic laws that criminalised homosexuality in Victoria. Before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1980, men could be sentenced for up to 15 years in prison for having consensual sex with other men. “These laws did not just punish homosexual acts, they punished homosexual thought. They had no place in a liberal democracy. They have no place anywhere,” the Premier said.

1 September 2015

A person or representative of a deceased person can apply to remove old convictions for homosexual sexual activity, that is no longer a criminal offence. This is known as expungement.

15 July 2015

Ro Allen announced as Victoria’s first Gender and Sexuality Commissioner. Their title later became the Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities.

2 June 2015

Intentional HIV transmission had penalties of up to 25 years in jail, compared to 20 years for manslaughter. Section 19A of the Crimes Act was removed, so intentional infection of HIV became part of existing criminal offences such as ‘causing serious injury.’

3 December 2014

The first time there is a Minister for Equality and Equality portfolio in Victoria. Its purpose is to champion the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and intersex (LGBTIQ+) Victorians.

Updated 27 November 2023

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