We Love Aunty, but…

LGB Alliance Australia is the country’s largest independent organisation focused solely on the rights and interests of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We raise significant concerns that the ABC is not meeting its statutory obligations of independence, impartiality, integrity and balanced reporting in relation to matters involving sex, women’s rights and LGB issues. 

The ABC is a deeply valued and beloved Australian institution. Millions of Australians rely on Aunty for trusted, independent journalism, public accountability and cultural storytelling. Our concerns arise from the importance of ensuring that the ABC remains impartial, independent and worthy of the trust placed in it. 

Recent public comments by the ABC Managing Director, acknowledging that key aspects of the ABC’s involvement with the Australian Workplace Equality Index were new to him this week, demonstrate the need for transparency and public accountability. 

1. ABC participation in the Australian Workplace Equality Index requires full transparency 

The ABC currently holds Platinum Tier status within the Australian Workplace Equality Index. This requires multiple consecutive Gold ratings, completion of a large Platinum Project, submission of human resources documents, demographic data, internal policies and inclusion strategies, and ongoing adoption of organisational frameworks set by the assessment criteria. 

None of this has been disclosed under Section 80 of the ABC Act. 

Transparency is essential. The public has a right to understand the criteria for the ABC’s Platinum Tier status, the documents and data submitted, the resources committed and whether ongoing participation is compatible with statutory independence and impartiality. 

2. ACON’s current organisational focus differs from the needs of LGB people 

Our twenty year word frequency analysis of ACON’s annual reports from 2004 to 2024 shows a sharp decline in references to lesbian, a steady decline in references to gay, minimal references to bisexual, a significant increase in references to trans which now dominate and a substantial rise in queer terminology. 

These patterns indicate that ACON’s present organisational focus centres gender identity frameworks rather than same-sex attraction. This shift demonstrates that ACON’s current mandate differs from the needs and interests of same-sex-attracted people, particularly young lesbians. 

Given this divergence, ABC participation in the Australian Workplace Equality Index embeds a framework that is not aligned with the ABC’s statutory responsibilities to provide accurate, balanced and independent coverage of issues affecting lesbian, gay and bisexual people. 

3. There is no single LGBTQIA plus community 

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people do not constitute a single political community with gender identity organisations. LGB rights are based on biological sex and same-sex attraction, while gender identity frameworks prioritise subjective identity categories. 

Examples of divergence include replacing same sex attraction with same gender attraction, including males who identify as women within definitions relevant to lesbian spaces and supporting gender identity based clinical pathways for gender nonconforming youth, most of whom are same-sex-attracted according to the Cass Review. 

These differences reinforce the need for the ABC to maintain independence from any external framework whose mandate does not align with sex based rights. 

4. Limited ABC coverage of sex based rights and youth gender medicine 

The ABC has not adequately covered important legal and medical developments relevant to sex based rights and youth gender medicine. 

4.1 Family Court decision Devin 2025 FedCFamC1F 211 
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia urged caution regarding gender affirming interventions for minors. ABC coverage was limited to a single episode of The Law Report on ABC Radio National. 

4.2 Four Corners Blocked The battle over youth gender care 
Our analysis identified selective sourcing and omission of key evidence in the broadcast on 10 July 2023. 

4.3 Tickle v Giggle 
This major Federal Court matter concerning women’s sex based online spaces has not been reported by the ABC. 

4.4 Lesbian Action Group v Australian Human Rights Commission 
This related case, raising questions about sex based rights and discrimination law, has also received no ABC coverage. 

5. The new homophobia. Same-sex-attracted youth reframed as trans 

The Cass Review in the United Kingdom found that the overwhelming majority of children referred for gender dysphoria were same-sex-attracted. International evidence shows that many gay and lesbian children are being misdiagnosed as trans rather than supported in their developing sexual orientation. 

Through its adoption of gender identity based frameworks without critical examination, ABC reporting risks reinforcing this pattern in Australia. 

6. Australia is now an international outlier 

The United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, France, New Zealand and several states in the United States have reversed course on youth gender medicine and adopted stronger safeguarding models. ABC reporting has not reflected this global shift. 

7. Statutory duties require independence, accuracy and balance 

The ABC has obligations under Section 8 independence and impartiality, Section 80 public reporting of significant matters, Section 6 accurate and balanced news and Editorial Standards 4 and 5. 

Alignment with any external framework that prioritises gender identity positions risks undermining these duties, particularly where those frameworks differ from sex based perspectives relevant to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. 

8. What is required 

LGB Alliance Australia calls for the following. 

• Full public disclosure of the ABC’s Australian Workplace Equality Index participation, including criteria, submissions, costs and the Platinum Project. 

• A reassessment of whether ongoing participation is compatible with statutory independence and impartiality. 

• A fully independent external review examining the ABC and Australian Workplace Equality Index relationship, conflicts of interest, editorial influence, impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual and women’s rights and steps needed to restore public confidence in ABC independence. 

LGB Alliance Australia will continue to advocate for independent and evidence based reporting on matters affecting same-sex-attracted people and for ensuring that Aunty remains trusted, impartial and fully independent.