Backlash against LGBTIQA+ community — why now? Joe Ball

The hard fought for gains of one generation can pave the way for the next, but the road to equality is never straight. After meaningful progress for LGBTQIA+ people in recent years, that same community is now faced with some setbacks, and a rising hostility, So why are the human rights of LGBTIQA+ people being challenged, curtailed and politicised right now? The 2025 Higinbotham Lecture at RMIT University was recorded on 15 October 2025. Speakers Joe Ball Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities Dr Shelley Marshall (host) Professor of Law, and Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) of the School of Law at RMIT University