Life as a Legislator: Louise Pratt, Australia

Louise Pratt is a Federal Senator for Western Australia, member of the Australian Labor Party, and a key advocate for the Global Equality Caucus’s work in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pratt’s interest in politics started at university when she served on the executive of the National Union of Students. An open lesbian, she became a prominent gay rights campaigner and a member of Gay and Lesbian Equality (GALE).

Her political career started when she was elected to the Western Australia Parliament in 2001, when at the age of 28 she became the youngest woman ever elected to the Legislative Council. During her time as an MLC she was at the forefront of bringing in the 2002 law reforms which modernised abortion laws, equalised the age of consent, and removed bans on LGBT education in schools.

At the 2007 federal election, she made the move to Canberra after her election as a Senator for Western Australia. In one of her first speeches, she seized the opportunity to highlight the discrimination her and her transgender partner faced and called for marriage equality.

Senator Pratt, in her speech, stated the following:

“I look forward to a time when we will have removed at a federal level all discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexuality, to a time when my partner is not denied a passport because his gender is not recognised under our laws, to a time when my friends’ children all enjoy the same rights and protections under Commonwealth law regardless of whether their parents are straight or gay, to a time when, if my gay friends wish to be legally married, they can be.”

Aside from a two-year break in 2014-2016, Pratt continues to serve as a Senator and amongst other roles is co-chair of the LGBTIQ+ Friendship Group in the Federal Parliament.

In addition to fighting for LGBT+ equality, her key policy interests include combating climate change and economic inequality, increasing women's workforce participation, early years’ education, and supporting the cultural empowerment of First Nations communities.

During a GEC engagement in Canberra, we asked Senator Pratt a couple of questions on her motivations and drivers as an out lesbian politician with a proven track record in LGBT+ inclusion.

*Senator Pratt with other members of the Global Equality Caucus at a meeting in the New South Wales Parliament during Sydney WorldPride.*

With a long track record of activism and a strong personal story as a community member, why did you choose to go into politics?

It has been a big privilege to be in politics for a long time, even though I checked out of politics for a while. I actually started as an activist within my political party, advocating for inclusive policies and against homophobic laws, in my early twenties. Running for Parliament was actually a very natural step for me as an activist, already being inside a political environment, I nevertheless did not run solely on an LGBTIQ+ political agenda.

My partner at that time was extremely supportive of me, and him being a transgender man, he knew the importance of changing laws. We recruited LGBTIQ+ people to join the party and run for office, strengthening our visibility and influence over politics and policies. It is nevertheless important to highlight again that politicians generally do not run on one issue alone but present a larger set of beliefs and values aimed at change and reform.

On the topic of reform, where do you see possible improvement for Australia at the national level, which legislation should be looked at and changed?

We need to harmonise our anti-discrimination law, which currently still has exemptions to the full protection of LGBTIQ+ Australians, but also for instance for unmarried women because there are still exemptions to the Sex Discrimination Act. That means in practice that religious institutions can still discriminate based on things like marital status or LGBTIQ+. It generally demonstrates that there are often very clear synergies between our issues.

We also need to see improvement in the legal situation of our Australian intersex community and the ongoing genital mutilation of intersex children and infants, and moreover need to support the mental health and well-being of our community, with a special focus on access to good mental health support for our trans community. Mental health and well-being of the community is often an issue, precisely because of the legacy of discrimination, exclusion, and marginalisation.

Also, there are multiple layers of discrimination in Australia and looking at it from an intersectional perspective, our indigenous First Nations peoples that are part of the community are oftentimes more at risk of discrimination, exclusion, and marginalisation. This is also partly inherited because of the colonization of our lands. It is nevertheless also very encouraging to see that our indigenous Sisterboys and Brothergirls are coming out in their communities, increasing the visibility of black community members.

AS A FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE OF AUSTRALIA, HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT legislators and civil society organiSations in other countries, PRINCIPALLY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC?

Let me start by saying that I have been inspired by other legislators at home and abroad who encouraged me to step up. Georgina Beyer (from New Zealand, the world’s first openly trans legislator) passed away just recently. I met her after I just got elected and seeing her being visible gave me the courage to be visible. It is also important to look at best practice around the world because, despite good laws we have passed in Australia, we are now surpassed by better laws that are being introduced in other jurisdictions influenced by the important work of CSOs and activists in the field. It is simply our duty to also be there for other legislators, coming from different jurisdictions that might need support to change legislation at home. I was very glad to see a delegation of Pacific Island MPs present in Sydney for WorldPride and I felt it was my responsibility to support them in their work and learn from them in return. Sometimes it’s not just about talking, but we also need to open doors and make connections for colleagues that might benefit from them.

What is your advice to community members that are considering going into politics?

DO IT!! I myself have certainly experienced homophobic discrimination but never let that become the reason for not going into politics, make it the reason to do so. The support I got from our community to make a difference far outweighs the costs of a small group of people that spread hate and lies. To me, it is a great job and a great opportunity to serve my community focusing on many different issues. You might want to start with joining a political party and find the people within the party that you feel most comfortable with.