Wagga’s annual Mardi Gras was cancelled two years ago. Many say they no longer have access to LGBTQ+ events in small towns. Photo: File.
Around two in five gender-diverse people living in regional Australia still hide their gender identity because they fear discrimination, according to new research from Charles Sturt University.
The university’s Regional Rainbow Survey, which polled 117 adults from rural and regional Australia who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, found many respondents remain reluctant to reveal their authentic selves despite growing awareness and acceptance.
The survey defines gender-diverse people as those whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth, including transgender and non-binary people.
Participants also reported an increase in hostility towards LGBTQ+ people, particularly rising transphobia and violence directed at transgender women.
More than 40 per cent of respondents said they had experienced discrimination from strangers, while about one in four reported discrimination in the workplace or from family members and friends.
Griffith Council put up pride banners across the main street during June. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Around one in five said they had experienced discrimination while accessing physical healthcare, while 16 per cent said their community needed more gender-affirming healthcare services and general practitioners with better knowledge of LGBTQ+ health.
“LGBTQ+ people in rural and regional Australia still report poorer mental health than those living in our cities,” Charles Sturt University’s Dr Clifford Lewis said.
“One in three people with a diverse sexual orientation, and two in five people with a diverse gender identity, are not out to some degree. This speaks to the fear many LGBTQ+ people in regional communities continue to live with.”
Although the survey was released during Pride Month in June, Dr Lewis said its message extended beyond a single month of celebration.
“We need more allies in rural and regional towns,” he said.
“Allyship can happen in all the small things — reporting anti-trans hate speech on social media, reminding your LGBTQ+ friends, family and neighbours that you love them, and calling out discrimination when you see it.”
A new event called Pride in the Paddock was launched this month. Photo: Leigh Swansborough.
Dr Lewis said Charles Sturt University was working to improve inclusion through initiatives including its Ally Network, LGBTQ+ scholarships and senior staff advocating for LGBTQ+ rights across the institution.
He hopes the Regional Rainbow Survey, which is intended to continue annually, will build a stronger evidence base to inform government policy, improve health services and create safer, more inclusive regional communities.
The survey also found many respondents lacked access to LGBTQ+ social events in their hometowns.
That has been a challenge in Wagga, where the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebrations ended two years ago after key sponsors, including Charles Sturt University, withdrew support, leaving the region without a major LGBTQ+ event.
A new community-run festival scheduled for September, Pride in the Paddock, hopes to fill that gap. Organisers say the event aims to celebrate diversity, foster connection and create a safe, welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people and their allies across the Riverina.
Organiser Vickie Burkinshaw said the event was a reminder that LGBTQ+ people belonged in regional communities and should not feel pressured to leave in search of acceptance.
“Sometimes it feels like we take one step forward and two steps back,” she said.
“Part of this is saying we’re not going to put up with that. We’re not going to move to the city. We want to tell the LGBTQIA+ community that they’re welcome here.”
