Timeline of major community, legal and policy developments in Victoria

Decriminalisation of sex between men comes into effect

Same-sex couples get rights equal to heterosexual de facto couples

‘Gay panic’ defence abolished

Assisted reproductive technology becomes legal for female same-sex partners

Same-sex couples can register their relationship as a domestic partnership

The Safe Schools Coalition of Victoria established for LGBTIQ students

Process to enable TGD people to change gender on their driver’s licence

Victoria Police apologises for the 1994 Tasty Nightclub raid

Victoria Police starts the ‘Equality is not the same’ process to build trust

Victorian Government establishes the Equality portfolio

Australia’s first Minister for Equality and Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality (now titled Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities) created

Couples can register their same-sex marriage from another jurisdiction as a domestic relationship in Victoria

Scheme to expunge historical convictions for homosexual activity

Victoria’s 10-year mental health plan focuses on LGBTI communities

The Aboriginal health, wellbeing and safety strategic plan commits to LGBTIQ+ Aboriginal people

LGBT couples can adopt children

Kunghah Brotherboys and Sistergirls weekend retreat for Aboriginal TGD people to share their experiences and knowledge, and address community issues

LGBTIQ Equality Roadshow visits 29 towns in rural and regional Victoria

Premier Daniel Andrews makes a formal apology in Parliament to those convicted under laws that criminalised homosexuality

The Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence recommends strengthening the response for people from LGBTIQ+ communities, with later budget investment in LGBTIQ+ specialist family violence services and LGBTIQ+ inclusion in mainstream services

Victorian Pride Centre announced

The Corrections Victoria Commissioner revises requirements detailing prison management of people who are trans, gender diverse or intersex

Department of Premier and Cabinet forum on LGBT inclusion in sport

Justice Health policy includes health care for TGDI prisoners

Marriage equality legalised under Commonwealth law, following Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey

All Victorian Government secondary schools become Safe Schools

Fair Play Code addresses discrimination in sport and recreation

Nanyubak Yapaneyeputj ‘dreaming together’ retreat for Aboriginal LGBTI people

The Victorian Government releases the Everybody matters: inclusion and equity statement 10-year vision for the family violence system

Statewide two-day community of practice meeting of rural and regional LGBTI stakeholders, held in Melbourne to advance rural and regional inclusion

Adults can apply to alter the record of their sex in their Victorian birth registration without the need to be unmarried (end of ‘forced divorce’)

Sexual reassignment surgery is no longer needed to change a birth certificate

First LGBTIQ+ Aboriginal roundtable convened; Koorie Pride Victoria established

Intersex Policy and Resource Project launched

Trans parents can change their sex and name on their child’s birth certificate

Victoria Police apologises for the way police enforced historical laws related to homosexuality

10 rural and regional LGBTIQ+ community of practice meetings held to build rural and regional LGBTIQ+ inclusion

The Victorian Government adopts its first LGBTIQ+ strategy