List of the first LGBTI holders of political offices in Australia

LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex) holders of political offices in Australia.^[1][2] Currently and historically there are no transgender or intersex parliamentarians.

Current federal openly-LGBTI parliamentarians

• Penny Wong, South Australian Labor Senator since 2002
• Louise Pratt, Western Australian Labor Senator from 2008-2014 and since 2016.
• Dean Smith, Western Australian Liberal Senator since 2012
• Janet Rice, Victorian Greens Senator since 2014
• Trent Zimmerman, New South Wales Liberal MP since 2015.
• Trevor Evans, Queensland LNP MP since 2016.
• Julian Hill, Victorian Labor MP since 2016.
• Tim Wilson, Victorian Liberal MP since 2016.

Historical firsts

Federal

• Member: Bob Brown, Tasmanian Greens Senator from 1996 to 2012.
• Female member: Penny Wong, South Australian Labor Senator from 2002.
• Government cabinet member: Penny Wong, South Australian Labor Senator who served in cabinet from 2007 to 2013.
• Liberal member: Dean Smith, Western Australian Liberal Senator from 2012.
• Lower house member: Trent Zimmerman, New South Wales Liberal MP from 2015.
• Both major party candidates in a lower house contest openly gay: the Division of Brisbane at the 2016 federal election.

States and territories

• Tasmania: Bob Brown (Independent Green) – 1983
• New South Wales:
  • Legislative Council:
    • Male: Paul O'Grady (Labor) – 1988 (came out 1990)
    • Female: Penny Sharpe (Labor) – 2005
  • Legislative Assembly:
    • Bruce Notley-Smith (Liberal) – 2011
• Western Australia:
  • Legislative Council:
    • Giz Watson (Greens) – 1997
  • Legislative Assembly:
    • John Hyde (Labor) – 2001
• Victoria: Andrew Olexander (Liberal) – 1999
• South Australia: Ian Hunter (Labor) – 2006
• Australian Capital Territory: Andrew Barr (Labor) – 2006
  • Government minister: Andrew Barr (Labor) – 2006
• Northern Territory: Chansey Paech - 2016

Heads of government

Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr was the first openly-LGBTI head of a government in Australia, in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, from 2014. Andrew Barr became the first elected openly-LGBTI head of government in Australia after the 2016 ACT Election.

Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan was the first retrospectively known LGBTI head of a government in Australia, in the Parliament of South Australia, from 1967.

Mayor or deputy mayor

• • Mayor: Ralph McLean (Fitzroy) – 1984–1985
  • Intersex Mayor: Tony Briffa (Hobsons Bay) – 2011–2012 (world's first out intersex Mayor)

By state

New South Wales

Randwick

• Bruce Notley-Smith – 2004

Sydney

• Brian McGahen, Bill Hunt and Craig Johnston – 1984

Wagga Wagga

• Ray Goodlass – 2011

Woollahra

• Max Pearce – 1983 (first LGBTI candidate elected to public office in NSW)

Judiciary

Justice of the High Court of Australia

• • Male: Michael Kirby – 1996–2009 (Came out 1999)
  • Female: Virginia Bell – 2009

References