Fridae

Western Australia’s Equal Opportunity Bill 2026 is now before parliament, offering a possible new response to anti-LGBTQ+ vilification.

Earlier this year, Rainbow Futures WA explained why stronger safeguards mattered in everyday life. In a statement dated 30 March, chief executive Misty Farquhar described hearing from people who were “second-guessing whether to attend events, whether to speak up at work, or even whether to report incidents at all”.

The government wants vilification based on sexuality or gender identity to be covered by complaints to the state’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner. Disability, race, religion and sex are also listed in its proposed framework.

Schools and businesses would have work to do, too. The government says they and other organisations would need to take reasonable steps to eliminate discrimination, harassment and vilification. Their size and resources would matter when deciding what is reasonable.

Parliament recorded the bill’s introduction on 21 October. Its progress page lists a second reading in the Legislative Assembly, and the bill has not become law.

This is a separate state measure from the federal religious-schools bill introduced by Allegra Spender on 12 October, which Fridae previously covered.