Gay MP Stephen Bates makes his case for Brisbane re-election
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Gay MP Stephen Bates makes his case for Brisbane re-election
Greens MP Stephen Bates is the current Member for Brisbane. The openly gay politician is one of only seven MPs from the LGBTQIA+ community in federal parliament.
He outlines his case for re-election and his support for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Who do you trust with your rights?
Here in Brisbane, your choice is between Peter Dutton’s LNP and the Greens.
I grew up gay in a small town in Central Queensland.
Like a lot of people from the country, it took moving to Brisbane to finally feel safe to live my truth and be honest about who I am.
I spent years of working in retail and hospitality — including in the so-called “Happiest Place on Earth,” where I saw the horrors of America’s health system and lack of workers rights first hand. When I got home, that experience drove me to stand up and be counted.
You elected me in 2022 to fight for our community, for real climate action and to make sure Australia’s healthcare system doesn’t go down the US’s dark path.
It was the greatest honour in my life to share my coming out journey in my first speech — tears and all — and to send the message to young queer people that there is hope and that things will get better.
And I’ve worked hard to deliver for our local community since then.
I’ve delivered an extra $1.2 million in funding for local community and health services — including funding Open Door Youth Service’s first-ever acute support service for trans young people.
I’ve fought to protect our nightlife — helping make sure The Zoo and the Twelfth Night stay open and funding queer arts collectives across Brisbane.
I’ve helped thousands deal with life’s challenges — from helping people navigate IVF and surrogacy to securing housing, NDIS and Centrelink — and I never turn anyone I can help away.
Me and my team have hosted 120 community events, served up 14,000 free community meals and I’ve given away $60,000 from my salary to help people out with groceries, rent and community grants.
But the biggest impact I can have is fighting for LGBTIQA+ people, loud and proud, in Canberra.
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A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)
Last election, we tossed out a decade old conservative government obsessed with policing our bodies and slashing our services. I went to Canberra full of hope that this new government meant turning a corner for our community and our country.
Instead, this government’s legacy for our community is photo opps and broken promises.
This government broke their promise to bring in an LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner, they broke their promise to protect LGBTQIA+ teachers and students at school, they broke their promise to fund the National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health— and if it wasn’t for our community raising hell, they would have broken their promise to Count Us In the Census too.
This government has capitulated on our rights at every single turn.
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A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)
And it’s not like the other alternatives are any better.
Peter Dutton’s LNP has been desperately importing American culture wars and buddying up to One Nation and the far right. From politicising lifesaving healthcare to banning kids books about gay families, the LNP’s actions show they want to take us backwards.
The LNP’s disgraceful decision to stop young LGBTIQA+ people from accessing puberty blockers — while still letting cis kids access the same care — goes to show how fragile our hard-fought rights are.
A doctor’s office is too small for a GP, a patient, and the LNP party room.
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A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)
In 2025, LGBTIQA+ people still face discrimination in work, in education and in accessing the services they need. We still face higher rates of mental ill health, homelessness and poverty.
But all the major parties are offering is more photo opps while they erode our rights behind closed doors. You can’t trust Labor and the LNP to defend LGBTIQA+ people when we’re under attack.
Our rights are non-negotiable. Silence while we’re going backwards is not acceptable.
The Greens will vote for the LGBTIQA+ community, every vote, every time.
Our community deserves representatives who’ll turn up — not just for photos.
In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics – a secure home, food, and access to world class health, education and a safe climate.
With our community being the pointy end of disadvantage, facing higher rates of homelessness and poverty, our core business of making sure everyone can afford a home, health and education helps us too.
My priority this election is to make big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax to pay for:
Dental and mental health in Medicare
Triple the Medicare bulk-billing incentive so everyone can see a GP
Build 360,000 public and community homes everyone can afford
Real climate action and building 100% renewable energy
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A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)
As millions of Australians struggle to afford the healthcare they need, I will be lobbying for greater investment in LGBTIQA+ health, community and peer-led services alongside our plan to:
Make gender-affirming care — free and universally accessible through better investment in our public health system.
Implement the ALRC recommendations to end discrimination against staff and students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or lifestyle in religious-run schools.
Appoint an LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner to publicly advocate for LGBTIQA+ rights and rectify a historic weakness in Australia’s human rights framework.
Abolish the “gay blood ban” by working with Lifeblood and the Red Cross to remove all remaining discriminatory barriers to donating blood.
Start a national government inquiry into the “ex-gay” and “ex-trans” conversion movements to understand the prevalence of underground practices and the impacts on LGBTIQA+ Australians, especially young people.
Rethink Australia’s approach internationally — from immigration and refugee processing to international aid — to make sure LGBTIQA+ people facing discrimination in their home country get the help they need and can migrate to Australia quickly, safely and affordably if they want to.
Remedy historic injustices faced by LGBTIQA+ defence force veterans with a redress scheme for veterans harmed by hazing, abuse and discrimination.
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A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)
We can make it happen. We just need to vote for it.
This election, LGBTIQA+ Australians have a choice between going backwards, going nowhere — or voting Greens.
You can follow Stephen’s campaign for re-election @BatesforBrisbane on Instagram.
Stephen will also be taking part in the Pride in Politics event at the Brunswick Hotel alongside Madonna Jarrett (Labor) and Trevor Evans (LNP). Details and tickets available here.
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