List of LGBTQ holders of political offices in Australia

This is a list of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) holders of political offices in Australia. ^{[1] [2]} Currently and historically there are no known intersex parliamentarians, although Tony Briffa is known as the world's first openly intersex mayor ^[3] and "first known intersex public office-bearer in the Western world", ^[4] having served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Hobsons Bay between 2009–2011 and Mayor between 2011–2012. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Federal parliament

Name	Image	Party		Seat	Term in Office		Notes
Don Dobie [7]			Liberal	Member for Hughes	26 November 1966	25 October 1969
				Member for Cook	25 October 1969	2 December 1972
					13 December 1975	29 January 1996
Neil Brown [8]			Liberal	Member for Diamond Valley	25 October 1969	2 December 1972	Came out in 1996
					13 December 1975	5 March 1983
				Member for Menzies	1 December 1984	25 February 1991
Neal Blewett [9]			Labor	Member for Bonython	10 December 1977	11 February 1994	Came out in 2000
Colin Hollis [10]			Labor	Member for Macarthur	5 March 1983	1 December 1984
				Member for Throsby	1 December 1984	8 October 2001
Bob Brown [11]			Greens	Senator for Tasmania	1 July 1996	15 June 2012
Brian Greig [12]			Democrats	Senator for Western Australia	1 July 1999	30 June 2005
Penny Wong [13]			Labor	Senator for South Australia	1 July 2002	incumbent
Louise Pratt [14]			Labor	Senator for Western Australia	1 July 2008	30 June 2014
					2 July 2016	incumbent
Dean Smith [15]			Liberal	Senator for Western Australia	2 May 2012	incumbent
Janet Rice [16]			Greens	Senator for Victoria	1 July 2014	19 April 2024
Robert Simms [17]			Greens	Senator for South Australia	22 September 2015	2 July 2016
Trent Zimmerman [18]			Liberal	Member for North Sydney	5 December 2015	23 May 2022
Trevor Evans [19]			Liberal	Member for Brisbane	2 July 2016	23 May 2022
Julian Hill [20]			Labor	Member for Bruce	2 July 2016	incumbent
Tim Wilson [20]			Liberal	Member for Goldstein	2 July 2016	23 May 2022
					3 May 2025	incumbent
Kerryn Phelps [21]			Independent	Member for Wentworth	20 October 2018	18 May 2019
Angie Bell [22]			Liberal	Member for Moncrieff	18 May 2019	incumbent
Nita Green [23]			Labor	Senator for Queensland	1 July 2019	incumbent
Stephen Bates [24]			Greens	Member for Brisbane	28 May 2022	3 May 2025
Emma Comer [25]			Labor	Member for Petrie	3 May 2025	incumbent
Josh Dolega [26]			Labor	Senator for Tasmania	3 May 2025	incumbent

Tasmania

• Former:
  • Bob Brown (Independent Green) – 1983–1993 ^[11]
  • Alison Standen (Labor) – 2018–2021 ^[27]
• Historic firsts:
  • Party leader: Bob Brown (Greens) – 1989–1993 ^[11]

New South Wales

Legislative Council

• Current:
  • Penny Sharpe (Labor) – 2005 ^[28]
  • Chris Rath (Liberal) – 2022 ^[29]
  • Amanda Cohn (Greens) – 2023 ^[30]
  • Jacqui Munro (Liberal) – 2023 ^[31]

• Former:
  • Michael Yabsley (Liberal) – 1984–1994 ^[32] [Came out: 2020]
  • Paul O'Grady (Labor) – 1988–1996 ^[33] [Came out: 1990]
  • Michael Egan (Labor) – 1986–2005 ^[34] [Came out: 1995]
  • Helen Westwood (Labor) – 2007–2015 ^[35]
  • Don Harwin (Liberal) – 2011–2022 ^[36] [Came out: 2014]
  • Shayne Mallard (Liberal) – 2015–2023 ^[37]
  • Mark Pearson (Animal Justice) – 2015–2023 ^[38]

Legislative Assembly

• Current:
  • Alex Greenwich (Independent) – 2012 ^[39]
• Former:
  • Michael Egan (Labor) – 1978–1984 ^[34]
  • Tony Doyle (Labor) – 1985–1994 ^[40] [Came out: 1994]
  • Bruce Notley-Smith (Liberal) – 2011–2019 ^[41]

Western Australia

Legislative Council

• Current:
  • Stephen Dawson (Labor) – 2013 ^[42]
  • Peter Foster (Labor) – 2021 ^[43]
• Former:
  • Giz Watson (Greens) – 1997–2013 ^[44]
  • Lynn MacLaren (Greens) – 2005, 2009–2017 ^[45]
  • Louise Pratt (Labor) – 2001–2007 ^[46]

Legislative Assembly

• Current
  • Stuart Aubrey (Labor) – 2021 ^[47]
  • John Carey (Labor) – 2017 ^[48]
• Former:
  • Lisa Baker (Labor) – 2008-2025 ^[49]
  • John Hyde (Labor) – 2001–2013 ^[50]

Victoria

Legislative Council

• Current:
  • Harriet Shing (Labor) – 2014 ^[51]
  • Joe McCracken (Liberal) – 2022 ^[52]
  • Aiv Puglielli (Greens) – 2022 ^[53]

• Former:
  • Andrew Olexander (Liberal) – 1999–2006 ^[54]

Legislative Assembly

• Current:
  • Steve Dimopoulos (Labor) – 2014 ^[55]
  • Gabrielle de Vietri (Greens) – 2022 ^[56]

South Australia

Legislative Council

• Current:
  • Ian Hunter (Labor) – 2006 ^[57]
• Former:
  • Don Dunstan (Labor) – 1953–1979 ^[58]
  • Kelly Vincent (Dignity) – 2010–2018 ^[59]
• Historic Firsts:
  • Premier: Don Dunstan (Labor) – 1967

Australian Capital Territory

• Current:
  • Andrew Barr (Labor) – 2006 ^[60]
  • Chris Steel (Labor) – 2016 ^[61]
  • Suzanne Orr (Labor) – 2016 ^[62]
  • Laura Nuttall (Greens) – 2023 ^[63]
• Former:
  • Jonathan Davis (Greens) – 2020-2023 (resigned)
• Historic firsts:
  • Government minister: Andrew Barr (Labor) – 2006 ^[60]
  • Chief Minister: Andrew Barr (Labor) – 2014 ^[60]

Northern Territory

Current:

• Chansey Paech (Labor) – 2016 ^[64]

Officeholders:

• Leader of the Opposition: Jodeen Carney (Liberal) – (2005)
• Speaker of the Assembly: Chansey Paech (Labor) – (2020)

See also

• List of transgender politicians in Australia
• List of the first LGBT holders of political offices

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