Episode 34: Choosing inclusion over division with Joe Ball

In this episode of The Latest, Triana Butler speaks with Joe Ball, Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, about the changing social and political environment for LGBTIQA+ people in Australia.

Drawing on more than 25 years of advocacy across mental health, suicide prevention, family violence, disability, housing and homelessness, Joe reflects on the rise of organised anti-rights movements, increasing hostility towards trans and gender diverse people, and what these developments mean for social cohesion, democracy and wellbeing.

The conversation explores the real-world consequences of discrimination and misinformation, the role governments and services can play in building safer and more inclusive systems, and the challenge of continuing long-term reform while responding to immediate threats. Joe also reflects on what gives him hope, and how community leadership, lived experience and collective action can help create a future in which LGBTIQA+ people can participate safely and equally.