ࡱ> +-,` 1bjbjss *1  llll x $      $ h *DDY" p$&l" o0   4DD $$$(D$$$( Dear Commissioner, I do not have an earth-shattering story of discrimination in the workplace. Without a horrendous story, I feel hesitant writing a submission to this inquiry. Rather, what I do have, are some non-stories. Non-stories are stories about the services I know that I am not eligible for and therefore I dont even bother asking for. They are the non-events, the things that would have happened if only I had not been a lesbian. And I think these non-stories matter profoundly, because they say what it is like to experience systematic discrimination. I co-facilitate a group for women who are coming out. The group runs for six weeks and provides a valuable space for women to explore their feelings about being same sex attracted. Recently we ran a group, and at the end of the course we all went out for coffee. During that coffee we talked about pensions and rent assistance. A mother noted that when she was being interviewed by Centrelink she was only asked whether a person of the opposite sex stayed at her house regularly. As she said, theyre asking the wrong questions. A younger woman stated that when she and her partner went to apply for rent assistance for their one bedroom flat, the staff refused to acknowledge their relationship. She also pointed out that this refusal made no real difference, since the rules only acknowledge heterosexual couples. I went away from that coffee feeling that despite the financial advantage that had been afforded to these women because of the systematic denial of their relationships and sexuality, they would give that up that advantage for formal recognition that they were in legitimate relationships, that their life choices were not sub-human. When I was studying I did not bother applying for Aus-study because I knew I would not be eligible, because my relationship could not be understood as de-facto. I have not applied for the Medicare Safety-net either. Ive looked at the brochure and determined that there is no point in applying. I have been lucky, I have had enough money that I can survive these disadvantages. However, if a disaster were to befall either my partner or myself, my faith in my own safety-nets is not strong. It is at that very point where I would most need the support of the government that it may not be forthcoming. These are not amazing stories. Nothing I have said here would make anybody in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender, Intersex and Queer community think twice. Sadly, we are used to this kind of quiet discrimination. I think it is sometimes difficult to see the discrimination when, as a community, we know where it hides and therefore we avoid rubbing against it. Or, to put it another way, there be dragons. Who willfully goes where they know their legitimacy is questioned? I wish you well with the inquiry. Yours Sincerely Peta Cox 2<1h&h#6CJaJmH sH h&h#CJaJmH sH 5 6 &'011(/ =!"#$% 8@8 Normal_HmH sH tH DAD Default Paragraph FontViV  Table Normal :V 44 la (k(No List H@H & Balloon TextCJOJQJ^JaJ1  z1 56    & ' 0 3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!56    & ' 0 3 00000000000000003 h0Hh01 1 1  3  3 ::3 #2h^F&3 @ȿ1 `@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial5& zaTahoma"qhH3H3I  -I  -!24d( ( 2P)?^F2Oh+'0P    $08@H Normal.dot4Microsoft Office Word@@(&c@(&cI ՜.+,0 px  - (   Title  !"#$%(Root Entry Fp(*1TableWordDocument*SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89qRoot Entry FŠ/1TableWordDocument*SummaryInformation( .DocumentSummaryInformation8pCompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q՜.+,D՜.+,< px  - (   Title4 $,