Victoria Police and LGBTIQA+ community news

Victoria Police delivered LGBTIQA+ awareness training to Wilsons Security Officers. The training gave security personnel the tools and knowledge to respectfully interact with LGBTIQA+ people.

Victoria Police hosted a panel event with family violence specialists from Drummond Street Services and Q+Law to acknowledge LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day.

The focus of the panel was best practical advice for operational police officers when responding to LGBTIQA+ family violence call-outs.

The panel discussed the nuances that can be present in LGBTIQA+ family relationships and how these factors may have an unintended impact on police responses.

The Victorian Public Sector (VPS) Pride Awards were held on Thursday 21 May 2026 at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

The awards honour and recognise contributions to LGBTIQA+ inclusion from across the sector. They are open to all public service bodies and public entities (as described by the Victorian Public Sector Commission) and employees.

Out of 10 categories, Victoria Police won four awards (including many other nominations), demonstrating the outstanding contributions of our employees to LGBTIQA+ inclusion.

Victoria Police celebrated International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex Discrimination and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) with a variety of events.

Police stations around the state held events and raised the rainbow flag.

An online event was available for all employees to attend. It focused on the experiences of intersex people. Intersex representatives provided valuable lived experience.

In May, Victoria Police held a LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Training session with a focus on people and culture functions for all Our People employees.

This hybrid session, held in partnership with Pride in Diversity, was attended by over 200 employees as part of our ongoing efforts to cultivate an inclusive and supportive workplace.

Key topics included:

• LGBTIQA+ and TGD inclusion awareness
• bullying and harassment
• policies, including our Gender Affirmation, Parental, and Surrogacy Leave options and the importance of using gender neutral terms throughout all policies
• recruitment considerations and challenges, and how to conduct inclusive, non-biased interviews
• employment lifecycle terminology, myths, and challenges
• language and assumptions, and
• tips to becoming a more proactive workplace ally.

Our LGBTIQA+ Liaison Officers (LLOs) joined in on many pride events such as:

• Midsumma Carnival at Alexandra Gardens
• Victoria’s Pride Street Party in Fitzroy and Collingwood
• ChillOut Street Parade and Carnivale in Daylesford
• AO Pride Day at Melbourne Park
• Casey Rainbow Picnic in Berwick
• Geelong Rainbow Festival in Geelong
• Bendigo Pride in the Park in Bendigo
• Wangaratta Pride Fair Day in Wangaratta.

We participated in the LGBTIQA+ Community Forum hosted by Thorne Harbour Health at The Laird, where we updated the community on the increase of tech-facilitated violence against gay and bi+ men and discussed the importance of the Victorian Inquiry into Anti-LGBTIQA+ Hate Crimes and making a submission.

Victoria Police celebrated Trans Day of Visibility with a variety of events. We raised the transgender flag at police locations around the state. We did this in solidarity with trans and gender diverse people across the world.

The flag was also raised at the Victoria Police Centre. A member of our Trans and Gender Diverse Employee Network (TAGDEN), as well as Assistant Commissioner Brett Curran spoke about the significance of the day.

Victoria Police employees donated plasma and blood on World AIDS Day in collaboration with Lifeblood.

The donation drive was an opportunity to celebrate the more inclusive rules for plasma donation which were introduced this year.

Victoria Police celebrated Trans Awareness with a variety of events. Police stations around the state held events and raised the trans flag.

At the Victoria Police Centre, the trans flag was raised with a guest speaker from the Executive Leadership Board and the Parents and Caregivers of Trans and Gender Diverse Children Network (PACTAG).

The Gender Equality and Inclusion Division presented Trans and Gender Diverse Awareness Training. This was delivered in partnership with Pride in Diversity.

The training focused on how employees can contribute to creating supportive workplaces for trans and gender diverse employees.

In addition, Gender Equality and Inclusion Division and Pride in Diversity conducted specialist LGBTIQA+ inclusion training for Human Resources professionals.

The training provided insights into how small changes to practice and process can impact attraction and retention of LGBTIQA+ employees.

​​Victoria Police attended the Shepparton Out in the Open Fair Day.

We hosted a stall to promote our LLO program, LGBTIQA+ employee networks and our LGBTIQA+ Community Safety hub.

​​Victoria Police attended the annual Better Together Conference in Adelaide. Better Together is the only national conference relating to LGBTIQA+ communities.

Victoria Police joined a panel including the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ communities and Thorne Harbour Health.

The panel focused on the rise of app-facilitated violence against gay and bi men. This session was designed to educate LGBTIQA+ communities about this violence and advocate for improved responses around Australia.

Victoria Police celebrated Wear It Purple Day with a variety of events. Police stations around the state held events and raised the rainbow flag.

At the Victoria Police Centre, the rainbow flag was raised with a guest speaker from the Executive Leadership Board.

Gender Equality and Inclusion Division presented the first LGBTIQA+ Allyship Training at Victoria Police. This was delivered in partnership with Pride in Diversity.

The workshop strengthened participants’ skills in advocacy and allyship. It provided practical strategies to build safe, inclusive spaces, where everyone feels valued.

The session was held on Friday 29 August, to coincide with Wear it Purple Day. Employees attending in person were encouraged to wear purple to show their support to LGBTIQA+ youth.

In July 2025, Victoria Police presented to members of Many Coloured Sky.

Many Coloured Sky is an LGBTIQA+ organisation that supports LGBTIQA+ refugees, migrants and asylum seekers to Victoria.

The presentation focused on online safety, dating app safety, the LGBTIQA+ Liaison Officer Program, and the ways Victoria Police support LGBTIQA+ people.

JOY 94.9 is a radio station dedicated to LGBTIQA+ communities.

On the last Tuesday of each month, we speak to JOY 94.9.

We discuss what we are doing to improve our relationship with LGBTIQA+ communities. We share upcoming projects, events and news relevant to LGBTIQA+ communities.

Victoria Police gave evidence at the parliamentary inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate in Victoria.

We spoke about the prevalence and presentation of anti-LGBTIQA+ hate, and work that we’ve done to address it.

For additional information, including transcripts of the hearings, see the Parliament of Victoria website.

Victoria Police achieved Gold Tier Employer status for the first time at the 2026 Australian LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion Awards.

These awards are based on results from the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking tool that measures the progress and impact of LGBTIQ+ initiatives across workplaces each year.

In 2026, Victoria Police stood out as the highest-ranked law enforcement agency nationally and the only Victorian Government agency to receive Gold Tier status.

Victoria Police also celebrated VP Pride being named a finalist for Employee Network of the Year, a testament to the strength and impact of their work.

Beyond recognition, the AWEI process gives us valuable insights to keep improving and strengthening inclusion for LGBTIQA+ employees across the organisation. It’s significant recognition for the broader community we serve, reflecting the importance of inclusion beyond our organisation.

We contributed to the development of Victoria’s first whole-of-government LGBTIQA+ strategy.

The strategy is called Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ strategy 2022-32.

The strategy provides the plan to drive equality and inclusion for Victoria’s diverse LGBTIQA+ communities, within all aspects of government.

Victoria Police has several actions under the strategy. We report on the progress of these actions on an annual basis.

An LGBTIQA+ prompt card has been published to assist police members when interacting with LGBTIQA+ people.

Prompt ards are quick reference guides that police members can refer to when at a scene.

The prompt card includes advice for police about:

• responding to family violence incidents involving LGBTIQA+ people
• using inclusive language
• custody placement of transgender and gender diverse people
• prejudice motivated crime
• conducting searches
• interviews and statements, and
• resources for police and LGBTIQA+ community members.

We have developed a new quarterly newsletter for LGBTIQA+ communities to receive updates about the programs and celebrations we have been a part of, and the policies and initiatives we have in place for the coming months.

Join the mailing list here.

A mandatory training package, designed to help employees understand how to support LGBTIQA+ people and communities, was launched in January 2026. It was developed in partnership with Transgender Victoria and other LGBTIQA+ community organisations.

The new e-learn responds to recommendations from the coroner’s inquest into Bridget Flack and other cases. The inquest focused on the death of a cluster of trans young people and recommended the implementation of mandatory LGBTIQA+ awareness training.

We are working to improve the way we record trans and gender diverse in our databases.

This includes:

• developing a way for members of the public to request to change their details
• guidance for police members to process the requests.

If you are trans or gender diverse and wish to change your name and/or gender on Victoria Police’s databases, please email LLO-Coordinator-MGR@police.vic.gov.au.