The 2017 marriage equality survey stirred up the discussion around the rights of LGBTIQA+ people and religious freedoms, leading to the Ruddock review and the draft package of religious freedom bills currently doing the rounds.

The proposed Religious Discrimination Bill is being framed as simultaneously both deeply necessary, and making only conservative changes to existing legislation. But what does the bill actually contain? What does it mean for LGBTIQA+ and religious communities? What about the impact on the people who belong to both?

Join discrimination law expert Liam Elphick for a mini-lecture unpacking the bill and how it relates to existing protections, followed by a panel discussion with LGBTIQA+ people and their allies from faith communities as they discuss what the bill would mean for them and their experiences living in the intersection of their identities.

Liam Elphick is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia Law School, and a member of the Australian Discrimination Law Experts Group. His research expertise is in discrimination law, particularly as it pertains to LGBTIQ+ protections and intersections with religious freedom. Liam is a regular media commentator on discrimination law issues, and has been consulted for various policy and law reform processes on discrimination law, including for federal members of parliament, the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the Australian Football League.

Fadzi Whande is an award winning Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategist and Social Justice Advocate who has worked across the business, not for profit and government sectors in Africa, USA, UK and Australia. Her work primarily focuses on identifying and removing barriers for marginalised and underrepresented groups. She currently works as the Principal Consultant Workforce Diversity for the Public Sector Commission.

Rafeif Ismail is a refugee and third culture youth of the Sudanese diaspora. An emerging multilingual writer, she was the winner of the 2017 Deborah Cass Prize for Writing, The 2018 Convocation of UWA Graduates Bryant Stokes Matilda Award for Cultural Excellence (Literature) and a finalist for the 2018 WA Youth Awards, Cultural Endeavours category. Her work has been published by Margaret River Press, Black inc publishing, Fremantle Press, Mascara Literary Review, Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin and Djed Press.

This venue is wheelchair accessible. Cover image source: Claire Moodie (ABC)