Message from Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson
I am proud to introduce the Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024. I do so in my capacity as the Executive Sponsor for LGBTIQ+ employee engagement and as a member of the Victoria Police Pride employee network (VP Pride).
This second Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ action plan reaffirms our commitment to righting the wrongs in our past – we acknowledge the history of exclusion for many Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ employees.
It is so very important that we encourage all employees to bring their whole selves to work and create a work environment where LGBTIQ+ employees feel safe, and are safe, from workplace harm.
Since 2018, Victoria Police has taken significant strides towards a better understanding of the issues faced by LGBTIQ+ people. I’m pleased to see this effort formally recognised through receipt of a number of awards at organisational level.
I acknowledge and thank the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (VEOHRC), for supporting us throughout this process.
I would also like to thank all members of VP Pride and am proud that we launched the network in 2018. VP Pride has set the standard for workplace networks and has enabled an accelerated engagement with employees to inform what is required to create a safe and inclusive workplace.
We all have a responsibility to our LGBTIQ+ employees and the LGBTIQ+ community we serve to be a safe and respectful workforce where all people, regardless of their sexual identity, gender expression or sex characteristics are encouraged to excel and thrive.
Thank you finally to all past and present LGBTIQ+ employees and allies for supporting positive cultural change.
Neil Paterson APM
Deputy Commissioner, Victoria Police
Executive Champion
About the Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Action Plan 2023-2024
The Victoria Police LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Action Plan 2023–2024 is part of the Victoria Police Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2023–2030 (Framework).
Acknowledgement statement
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Victoria Police respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country throughout Victoria.
We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging and continue to recognise and embrace the fact that Aboriginal People are connected to the oldest, continuous culture and history.
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Victoria Police proudly acknowledges the First Peoples of Victoria and their ongoing strength in practicing the world’s oldest living culture.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters on which we live and work and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We acknowledge the invaluable contributions of all those who have paved the way and fought for the rights of Aboriginal people, including the right to Self-Determination.
We recognise the continuing leadership of the Victorian Aboriginal community and our employees, who have contributed and paved the way, to creating a more inclusive and culturally safe workplace.
In the spirit of Self-Determination, Victoria Police is committed to strengthening our partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal community, as we continue to embrace diversity and equity across our organisation.
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Our understanding of LGBTIQ+ communities is continually evolving.
The term ‘LGBTIQ+’ refers to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and/or queer and/or questioning.
Queer is an umbrella term for a range of sexual and gender identities. The word was historically used as a slur against LGBTI people but has now been reclaimed with pride, especially by the younger generation LGBTIQ+ community. Queer is used within this document to encompass people who self-identify as Queer.
We use variations of the term throughout this action plan, for example, terms like ‘TGD’ (trans and gender diverse) or ‘LGBT’ depending on specific communities referenced. We also note that some Aboriginal communities use the terms ‘sistergirls’ and ‘brotherboys’.
Victoria Police’s human resources IT system was updated in 2021 to include the capture of a person’s gender identity, sex characteristics and sexual orientation. Since the introduction of this feature, all employees are encouraged to voluntarily update their diversity data. Note also that the current data capture may not always account for the experiences of people with an intersex variation.
Reviewed 22 March 2023