The Green’s Robert Simms has delivered his maiden speech in parliament sharing his journey as a gay man.
The senator said homophobia and transphobia are still dangerous forces in Australian society but young LGBTIQ+ people should be proud of who they are.
Senator Simms said being gay had allowed him to recognise other minority groups and the challenged they face.
The new senator replaces The Greens member Penny Wright who resigned in September due to an illness in her family.
Senator Simms is a former City of Adelaide Councillor and was a sollicitor in the state’s Supreme Court. He has served on the boards of several community organisations including the AIDS Council of South Australia.
The new Senator is The Greens’ spokesperson on education and LGBTIQ Â issues including marriage equality.
Here’s the section of Senator Simms speech where he spoke about his sexuality, scroll down to watch the video of his full speech.
I had a very happy childhood, but at times, as a young man growing up I did feel as through I didn’t quite fit in. I wasn’t always sure of my place in the world and didn’t always have the easiest time at school.
I stand here today as an out and proud gay man. But it certainly wasn’t always so. I remember I was around 12 when I realised I was gay, I was in my final year at primary school. It was a secret I carried for a long time – indeed I didn’t tell anyone until I was in my early twenties. I had no conception of what a gay life might look like and was scared for the future. I have to say, standing in the federal senate talking about coming out wasn’t exactly what I envisaged for my future as a closeted teenager in suburban Adelaide!
These days I’m very comfortable in my own skin, but I think its’ important to talk about these things because I know this is still not easy an thing for many young people today. I hope that through my work here I can make things a bit easier for people in the future. I have always had the support of my family and friends on my journey with sexuality, but I know not everyone is that fortunate.
Despite all that we’ve achieved on the road to equality, there is still much more to be done. I know young people are still bullied at school for being same-sex attracted or transgender and homophobia and transphobia are still a dangerous force in Australian society.
But I want to say today to any young person who might be struggling with their own journey with sexuality or gender identity, things really do get better. Our nation is changing, our world is changing and you have a bright future ahead of you. Be brave, be strong and be proud of who you are.
It’s my own experiences with sexuality that underpins my support for marriage equality. I know when I was a young person that that reform would have made a big difference to me. It actually would have changed things quite a lot. A positive symbol that no matter who you are or who you love, all are equal before the law.
The time has well and truly come for our nation to finally turn its back on the homophobia and discrimination of the past. This parliament must get this job done.
It’s interesting that the thing about me that I would have done anything to change, is now one of the things I cherish the most. Being gay has given me the capacity to look at the world in a different way – to imagine how things should be, to look beyond the rules of the world I grew up in. For me the personal is political and my experience has strengthened my resolve to fight discrimination and to stand up for outsiders. That’s fundamental to my political philosophy and I’m proud to be a member of a political party that fights to create a fairer and more equal society for all.
The fight against homophobia and transphobia is of course part of a much bigger struggle for justice in our world – a struggle against a fear and hatred of difference, a fear and hatred of others. We see that ugly hatred and fear in racism in this country as well. It should be named and it should be challenged head on.
It’s this fear and hatred of others that has been fundamental to Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and it was this issue that lead to my political awakening as a young person. I was at high school at the time. I was horrified by the images on the evening news of boats being turned away and of children sewing their lips together.
I was appalled that our nation was turning our backs on the world’s most vulnerable people – people coming to Australia seeking our help and protection. It is a sad indictment that more than a decade on, the brazen cruelty of mandatory detention continues. What kind of nation let’s children languish in island prisons? I believed then, as I still believe now, that this policy has no place in a civilised society. Indeed, it demeans us all.
I am proud to stand here as a representative of The Greens – a political party that has always had the moral courage to stand up for these people. I never lose hope that love and compassion will triumph over hatred and fear and that our nation will soon find its conscience.
Martin Luther King once said that “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
I believe with love and compassion we can change our world. Whether we are black or white, gay or straight, aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, whether you are born here, or whether you arrive by plan or by boat – it is love that is the foundation of the human experience. It is love that unites us all. And it is love that has been severely lacking in our nation’s approach to this issue. Let Australia be a country that celebrates generosity, rather than just prosperity. For if we do that, we will really be the richest country on earth.
