What does this new Amendment mean for families?

This is a significant step forward for families with children born through surrogacy overseas. The passage of this bill opens the door for parentage orders, allowing these children to have their parents legally recognised.

The Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 has been confirmed after extensive advocacy from many stakeholders. Our principal and International Surrogacy expert, Sarah Bevan, played a crucial role in this amendment, notably through her involvement in the Parliamentary Enquiry related to surrogacy law.

While this achievement marks progress, more work remains. We hope to share further positive developments regarding legislative changes in the near future, and we will continue to advocate for the rights of families affected by surrogacy.

If you have a child born through surrogacy overseas, please reach out to us today for support.

For more details on the bill, visit the NSW Parliament’s official page, Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 (nsw.gov.au)

NSW Government Endorses Revised Equality Bill to Enhance Protections for LGBTIQA+ Community

The NSW Government has announced its formal support for the proposed revisions to the Equality Bill, aiming to bolster protections for the LGBTIQA+ community.

Initially introduced to the NSW Parliament in August 2023 by Independent Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, this Bill has undergone extensive consultation, including a thorough Parliamentary inquiry. The NSW Government has collaborated with the Member for Sydney to propose several amendments.

The Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 encompasses a variety of significant legislative changes, which include:

• Allowing people to change their registered sex through an administrative process, without requiring surgery.
• Making hatred for or prejudice against transgender, gender diverse or intersex people an aggravating factor in sentencing.
• Updating terminology in laws to replace terms such as “HIV infection” and “suffering with AIDS” to “living with HIV/AIDS”.
• Clarifying in the Mental Health Act 2007 that expressing, or refusing to express, a particular gender identity does not that someone has a mental illness.
• Enabling a parentage order to be made for a child born through international commercial surrogacy, if it is in the best interests of the child (or if exceptional circumstances exist, depending on the factual circumstances) and other criteria and important safeguards are met.

This cements the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring all community members feel valued, respected, and equal.