MP Allegra Spender: Protecting our Community
As Australia heads toward a federal election, Independent MP Allegra Spender is doubling down on her commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights. During her time representing Wentworth (an area with some of Sydney’s most iconic gaybourhoods), Spender has become a powerful voice for inclusive policy and community visibility.
From fighting to reinstate LGBTQIA+ data in the census to pushing for stronger hate speech laws and protections for queer students and teachers, she’s proven that representation is more than symbolic—it’s about action. In this interview with Gay Sydney Australia, Spender shares what’s at stake for the queer community this election and why she’s not backing down.
You were instrumental in reversing the government’s decision to exclude LGBTQIA+ questions from the census. Why was this data so critical, and what impact do you hope it will have on policy and services for queer Australians?
I was astounded when Labor said they were dropping LGBTIQ+ questions from the census, apparently because of they were worried about what Peter Dutton and the culture war warriors might say.
Without good data, you can’t design good policy, particularly in areas like healthcare and social services where the LGBTIQ+ community have specific needs and challenges. For example, when Mpox was emerging and Australia had to make decisions on how many vaccines to buy and where to send them, it makes a huge difference if we have good data on how many gay and bisexual men there are and the types of places they may access these kinds of services.
But more than that, the census is a snapshot of who we are as a nation. LGBTIQ+ people are such an important part of our community, and they should be recognised as such. We should celebrate our diversity, not hide it!
You’ve proposed amendments to strengthen hate speech laws, including protections for LGBTQIA+ Australians. Can you explain how your proposals go further than existing legislation, and why this is urgently needed?
We’ve seen a really distressing rise in hate against the LGBTIQ+ community, whether it’s anti-trans protests by neo-Nazis in Victoria who held up signs saying “destroy pedo freaks”, or the forced cancellation of events like drag storytimes at local libraries.
The parliament has made important changes to criminalise threats of violence against the LGBTIQ+ community, but these laws don’t deal with vilification and the promotion of hatred. As Mike Burgess, the Director General of ASIO has said, “words matter”. It’s often the spreading of hateful rhetoric by neo-Nazis and hate preachers that is the spark for violent attacks.
Working with Equality Australia, I have put forward detailed amendments that would criminalise the explicit and intentional promotion of hatred across the country. These are modelled on laws that have existed in Western Australia for two decades, and have had no discernible impact on free speech.
Very disappointingly, neither of the major parties backed my amendments in parliament, despite a lot of tough talk. This will be a really important priority for me if I’m re-elected, both for the LGBTIQ+ community, as well as for Wentworth’s Jewish community.
Wentworth includes some of Sydney’s most vibrant queer neighbourhoods. How have your constituents influenced your approach to LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and what have you learned from the community since becoming their MP?
They’ve inspired me! And made my job a lot of fun.
I’ve lived in Wentworth pretty much my entire life and grew-up in and around Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, so it’s really been a lifetime of education!
Since being the local MP, one of the areas I’ve learned a lot more about is what the 78ers had to overcome with Mardi Gras, as well as the hate crimes that are still unsolved. These were things I was aware of, but I’ve had the opportunity to go into more detail on since I was elected.
I also now understand more about the challenges facing people with variations in sex characteristics and I’ve heard some really devastating stories. The idea that we’d allow surgeries that make such significant changes to a child’s body for cosmetic reasons – before they’re even old enough to consent – is really disturbing. It’s an area that’s not well understood by many politicians and that’s something I’d like to try and change. It’s clear we need more of a national approach to this.
On a more positive note, I hadn’t realised how much of a leader Australia was in preventing HIV transmission. It’s really inspiring, and we have amazing institutions like St Vincent’s to thank for this progress!
You’ve campaigned to stop LGBTQIA+ students and teachers from being expelled from religious schools due to their identities. How do you propose balancing religious freedoms with the rights of queer Australians in education?
Nobody should be discriminated against because of their gender, sexuality, or faith. Yet LGBTQ+ students and teachers are still being kicked out of religious schools because of who they are and who they love.
Our current laws are completely out of step with community expectations. Of course, religious schools should be able to hire people of the same faith – but they shouldn’t be able to sack them when they find out they’re gay.
I’m really disappointed by the major parties’ failure to come together on this. I wrote to both the Attorney General and Shadow Attorney General last year asking them to find a compromise and I will continue to push this if I am re-elected.
There was a path to reform in this parliament with the progressive majority in both Houses of Parliament – so it’s really disappointing Labor chose not to act. We can’t put issues like this in the “too hard” basket because the Liberal Party won’t support change.
You’ve marched in Mardi Gras under the ‘Independents for Inclusion’ banner. What does visible political participation in queer celebrations mean to you personally and politically?
For a start, it’s so much fun! There is such incredible diversity in our community and Mardi Gras is an amazing celebration of that. I know I’m not supposed to have favourite, but the Lifesavers with Pride float is always a highlight for me!
More broadly, I think it’s so important for political leaders to be visible and proud in showing their support for the LGBTIQ+ community.
But you’ve got to back that up by putting your neck on the line and actually supporting policies that help the community. Friendly rhetoric and just marching in Mardi Gras isn’t enough on its own.
Looking ahead to the next term, what are your top priorities for Wentworth – particularly in terms of ensuring equality, sustainability, and representation for marginalised communities, including LGBTQIA+ people?
When it comes to the specific issues facing the LGBTIQ+ community, law reform to crack down on hate speech and stop discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in religious schools are top of the pile. We also need to continue improving access to healthcare for the community, and gender affirming care in particular. I think the government have done a pretty good job on this so far, but the investment needs to continue and we need to stand-up against those politicians who want to weaponise these issues as part of US-style culture wars.
But beyond that, many of the issues that LGBIQ+ people talk to be about are the same as everyone else in Wentworth. There’s a real desire to take stronger action on climate change, use the opportunity of a more balanced parliament to push on some of the hard economic reforms – including tax – that the major parties have been too scared to touch, and ease some of the pressure on small businesses by reducing some of the regulatory burden that they face.
Check out more of Allegra Spender’s policies on her website HERE
Follow Allegra and her team for regular updates on Instagram HERE and Facebook HERE
To read more from Gay Sydney Australia, please click HERE
This is a paid partnership. Authorised by Allegra Spender, Edgecliff.