Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to extend my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of the victims of the horrific shooting in Colorado Springs. The news overnight was truly distressing. For many members of the LGBTIQA+ community, so many places around the world already are not safe. Even venues that have historically been safe places for LGBTIQA+ people to come together and celebrate who they are feel increasingly unsafe. That this mass shooting took place on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day when we honour the memory of trans people who have been murdered, only deepens the trauma and tragedy. Hate crimes and hate speech cannot be downplayed, because to do so, including defending egregious homophobic and transphobic remarks on the ground of free speech, is to amplify the platforms of those are spread hate. Where is the freedom for the members of the LGBTIQA+ community to live their lives without fear of violence and discrimination? Surely, as a society, that is what we should be advancing. LGBTIQA+ people exist, belong and want to live in peace and safety, and as political leaders, we have a responsibility to protect and defend their rights. So we send our condolences to the family members of those who were murdered, and we wish those who are injured the speediest of recoveries.