#stephen bates

propaganda:

meat is the god of prophecy. their real name is janeel, but they haven't gone by this for centuries. they believe they're only here to serve as fodder for fate.

Hampstead Mansion Block, London, UK [2022] _ Architects: Sergison Bates _ Photos by Spyros Kaprinis [12.02.2022].

“The development consists of 33 apartments over 6 storeys specifically designed to accommodate older residents who wish to live independently but as part of a community and share services and facilities. Our proposals reference the mansion blocks that characterise the Hampstead townscape and translates this building type into a contemporary form. Two interlocking villas break down the mass of the development and allow views through to the green space at the rear of the site. The facade is conceived as a series of projecting bays in round and chamfered forms, made from brick with precast concrete elements. Window openings reinforce the feeling of weight – deeper at the base of the building and almost flush at the top. The development offers a mix of unit sizes and room provisions. Apartments are designed to exceed Lifetime Homes’ requirements and meet the design criteria for fully accessible housing. All apartments are dual aspect and have a winter garden/loggia that encourages year-long use. Interior layouts are conceived as a flexible series of rooms, allowing flexibility in use as the needs of the residents change and develop over time, including accommodating long-term care.”

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/shame-on-you-brisbane-candidates-clash-on-lgbtqia-issues/

'Shame on you': Brisbane candidates clash on LGBTQIA+ issues

The three main candidates for the seat of Brisbane faced off in a sometimes fiery LGBTQIA+ event overnight.

Current Brisbane MP Stephen Bates from the Greens, Labor candidate Madonna Jarrett and LNP candidate Trevor Evans went head-to-head on key issues in front of a passionate live audience.

Stephen is one of the few current queer MPs in federal parliament and Trevor Evans was Queensland’s first openly gay MP when he held the seat from 2016 to 2022.

The Pride in Politics event, organised by Pride Business Network and hosted by wanda dparke, saw candidates take questions from the crowd as well as deliver opening and closing remarks. 

Although topics covered included health, cost of living and even the Olympics, it was key LGBTQIA+ issues that had the audience most involved with heckles, cheers and direct confrontation.

Hormone therapy for trans youth

A question on the recent LNP state government decision to halt any new patients under 18 from accessing puberty blockers and hormone treatments caused the greatest commotion. 

“This is a direct attack from the LNP state government on health care and on young people’s access to health care,” Stephen Bates told the crowd. 

“I think it’s outrageous, and I think it obviously immediately needs to be reversed.”

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

Labor candidate Madonna Jarrett agreed. 

“It is outrageous, and it does need to be reversed,” she said.

“I spent quite a few hours in Open Doors Youth Service recently talking to them about the impact that this decision by the LNP to block this care for people in our community, and they’re telling me that their numbers have increased dramatically.

“It’s driven by populism, it’s driven by discrimination, it’s driven by people not caring and not understanding about how people in our community live.”

Trevor Evans confronted

With the decision coming from an LNP government, the crowd’s attention was firmly focused on their candidate, Trevor Evans.

“I’ve got to say I’m a little bit shocked to hear the other candidates characterising what’s happened in Queensland the way that they have,” he said

“I think it’s actually a little bit reckless. So to be very clear, puberty blockers and hormone therapy have not been blocked here.”

At that point, an audience member stood up from the front row and confronted the former Brisbane MP. 

“You’re a disgrace Trevor, shame on you, how dare you treat us like this,” they shouted before leaving the room. 

Trevor continued to address the issue defending the decision and describing the issue as complex. 

“Everybody who’s had access to those in Queensland continues to have access to them,” he said.

“The reason that there is a short, sharp review into new entrants into the program is because these issues are complex, and they can involve quite vulnerable patients.

“When an organisation like Queensland Health finds that some of the checks and the balances and the careful processes that are there around informed consent are not being met, there is a really huge challenge for an organisation like Queensland Health.”

A “guarantee” that access will continue

An independent review is underway with a report expected in early 2026.  

Despite this timeline, Trevor appeared to preempt the review’s findings. 

“Now, it’s not my level of state government, but I’ll predict that once that review is done, I guarantee you that access to these sorts of treatments will continue,” he said.

“And we can have even greater confidence in the checks and balances and the protections for vulnerable people that wrap around them.“

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Trevor Evans (@trevorevansbne)

Trump’s impact

American President Donald Trump has been an overbearing figure this election campaign and it was no different at the event. 

The audience asked candidates how their party would combat the “right-wing rhetoric coming out of America” and how it impacts LGBTQIA+ people. 

Current MP for Brisbane, Stephen Bates, said it was a key issue with voters in the electorate.  

“What we’re seeing coming out of America is something that actually people bring up a lot in our community, this is in the top five issues of what’s on people’s minds,” he said. 

“And I will say it: I do not believe the LNP when they say that they’re going to defend our community. I do not believe that Peter Dutton cares about our community. He will not stand up to Donald Trump to actually defend the LGBTQA+ community.”

LNP candidate Trevor Evans countered Bates’s claim. 

“I stand with my party when we say no to Trump on Ukraine, I stand with my party when we say no to Trump on tariffs, and I stand with my party when we say no to Trump on trans and changing the laws around the identity of genders,” he said.

“I can be a great influence on Australia’s parliament and on my party when it comes to stepping up for the queer community and our interests.”

Madonna’s response was focused on bringing communities together. 

“I don’t want to see divisive politics in Australia, but we are seeing it, unfortunately,“ she said

“I think it takes leadership to bring people together. It’s very easy to push people apart and push people to extremes, but it’s not that easy to bring people together, and that’s what, that’s what needs to happen.”

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Madonna Jarrett Brisbane (@madonnaforbrisbane)

Brisbane is a key seat 

The race for  Brisbane is a tight one, with experts not confident in predicting who will take it out. 

However, whoever wins Brisbane could have a major impact on who forms government after the May 3rd election. 

If Stephen Bates is reelected, it could stop either major party from forming a majority government. 

With recent polling suggesting Labor has a better chance of an outright win, claiming the seat for the first time since 2010 will be key to that success. 

Though with the LNP likely to improve on their 2022 results, Trevor Evans has every chance of winning back his seat he held for two terms. 

Whatever happens, one thing is certain: with a large LGBTQIA+ community in the electorate, the rainbow vote will strongly influence the final result. 

More on the Brisbane candidates:

Gay MP Stephen Bates makes his case for Brisbane re-election

Meet Labor’s Brisbane candidate Madonna Jarrett

Meet the gay LNP Brisbane candidate Trevor Evans

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/gay-mp-stephen-bates-makes-his-case-for-brisbane-re-election/

Gay MP Stephen Bates makes his case for Brisbane re-election

Greens MP Stephen Bates is the current Member for Brisbane. The openly gay politician is one of only seven MPs from the LGBTQIA+ community in federal parliament.

He outlines his case for re-election and his support for LGBTQIA+ rights.

Who do you trust with your rights? 

Here in Brisbane, your choice is between Peter Dutton’s LNP and the Greens. 

I grew up gay in a small town in Central Queensland. 

Like a lot of people from the country, it took moving to Brisbane to finally feel safe to live my truth and be honest about who I am. 

I spent years of working in retail and hospitality — including in the so-called “Happiest Place on Earth,” where I saw the horrors of America’s health system and lack of workers rights first hand. When I got home, that experience drove me to stand up and be counted.

You elected me in 2022 to fight for our community, for real climate action and to make sure Australia’s healthcare system doesn’t go down the US’s dark path. 

It was the greatest honour in my life to share my coming out journey in my first speech — tears and all — and to send the message to young queer people that there is hope and that things will get better.

And I’ve worked hard to deliver for our local community since then. 

I’ve delivered an extra $1.2 million in funding for local community and health services — including funding Open Door Youth Service’s first-ever acute support service for trans young people. 

I’ve fought to protect our nightlife — helping make sure The Zoo and the Twelfth Night stay open and funding queer arts collectives across Brisbane. 

I’ve helped thousands deal with life’s challenges — from helping people navigate IVF and surrogacy to securing housing, NDIS and Centrelink — and I never turn anyone I can help away.

Me and my team have hosted 120 community events, served up 14,000 free community meals and I’ve given away $60,000 from my salary to help people out with groceries, rent and community grants. 

But the biggest impact I can have is fighting for LGBTIQA+ people, loud and proud, in Canberra. 

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

Broken promises

Last election, we tossed out a decade old conservative government obsessed with policing our bodies and slashing our services. I went to Canberra full of hope that this new government meant turning a corner for our community and our country.

Instead, this government’s legacy for our community is photo opps and broken promises. 

This government broke their promise to bring in an LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner, they broke their promise to protect LGBTQIA+ teachers and students at school, they broke their promise to fund the National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health— and if it wasn’t for our community raising hell, they would have broken their promise to Count Us In the Census too.

This government has capitulated on our rights at every single turn.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

And it’s not like the other alternatives are any better. 

Peter Dutton’s LNP has been desperately importing American culture wars and buddying up to One Nation and the far right. From politicising lifesaving healthcare to banning kids books about gay families, the LNP’s actions show they want to take us backwards.

The LNP’s disgraceful decision to stop young LGBTIQA+ people from accessing puberty blockers — while still letting cis kids access the same care — goes to show how fragile our hard-fought rights are. 

A doctor’s office is too small for a GP, a patient, and the LNP party room. 

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

In 2025, LGBTIQA+ people still face discrimination in work, in education and in accessing the services they need. We still face higher rates of mental ill health, homelessness and poverty. 

But all the major parties are offering is more photo opps while they erode our rights behind closed doors. You can’t trust Labor and the LNP to defend LGBTIQA+ people when we’re under attack.

Our rights are non-negotiable. Silence while we’re going backwards is not acceptable.

The Greens will vote for the LGBTIQA+ community, every vote, every time. 

Our community deserves representatives who’ll turn up — not just for photos.

We’ve got a plan 

In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics – a secure home, food, and access to world class health, education and a safe climate.

With our community being the pointy end of disadvantage, facing higher rates of homelessness and poverty, our core business of making sure everyone can afford a home, health and education helps us too. 

My priority this election is to make big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax to pay for:

Dental and mental health in Medicare 

Triple the Medicare bulk-billing incentive so everyone can see a GP

Build 360,000 public and community homes everyone can afford

Real climate action and building 100% renewable energy

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

Every vote, every time

As millions of Australians struggle to afford the healthcare they need, I will be lobbying for greater investment in LGBTIQA+ health, community and peer-led services alongside our plan to:

Make gender-affirming care — free and universally accessible through better investment in our public health system.

Implement the ALRC recommendations to end discrimination against staff and students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or lifestyle in religious-run schools.

Appoint an LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner to publicly advocate for LGBTIQA+ rights and rectify a historic weakness in Australia’s human rights framework.

Abolish the “gay blood ban” by working with Lifeblood and the Red Cross to remove all remaining discriminatory barriers to donating blood.

Start a national government inquiry into the “ex-gay” and “ex-trans” conversion movements to understand the prevalence of underground practices and the impacts on LGBTIQA+ Australians, especially young people. 

Rethink Australia’s approach internationally — from immigration and refugee processing to international aid — to make sure LGBTIQA+ people facing discrimination in their home country get the help they need and can migrate to Australia quickly, safely and affordably if they want to.

Remedy historic injustices faced by LGBTIQA+ defence force veterans with a redress scheme for veterans harmed by hazing, abuse and discrimination.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Stephen Bates (@batesforbrisbane)

We can make it happen. We just need to vote for it.

This election, LGBTIQA+ Australians have a choice between going backwards, going nowhere — or voting Greens.

You can follow Stephen’s campaign for re-election @BatesforBrisbane on Instagram.

Stephen will also be taking part in the Pride in Politics event at the Brunswick Hotel alongside Madonna Jarrett (Labor) and Trevor Evans (LNP). Details and tickets available here. 

More on politics:

Meet Ellie Smith: The independent ally taking on Dutton

For trans Greens candidate Tara Burnett, making history is just the start

Meet Labor’s Brisbane candidate Madonna Jarrett

A politician showing genuine emotions and empathy for other people?!

Inconceivable!

Seriously though, this first speech was so touching, I couldn’t NOT tell anyone about it.

Incoming Greens MP Stephen Bates is still coming to terms with Brisbane victory in federal election

The incoming Greens MP in the federal seat of Brisbane will be quadrupling his salary and has only been to Parliament House in Canberra once. Life is about to change drastically for 29-year-old Stephen Bates, but he still has to work three more shifts in his retail job this week before he can focus on his new parliamentary role. “I still have to pay my rent,” he laughed. “So I’m going to be at…