Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex & Queer people in Melbourne's Jewish community. Founded 1995.
Speaking on ABC Radio, ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim expressed concern that proposed hate speech legislation doesn’t cover gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability.
Speaking on ABC Radio, ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim expressed concern that proposed hate speech legislation doesn’t cover gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability.
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson Michael Barnett said it made no sense that half of the group’s identity was protected from hate and the other half wasn’t
Aleph Melbourne
By AJN STAFF
January 14, 2026, 2:36 pm
An Australian Jewish LGBTIQA+ group has called on the federal government to prohibit hate speech against LGBTIQA+ people as well as the Jewish community in its proposed anti-hate legislation.
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson Michael Barnett said it made no sense that half of the group’s identity was protected from hate and the other half wasn’t.
“The same ideology is being used to drive attacks on both the LGBTIQA+ and Jewish communities. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists want to eradicate gay and trans people as much as they want to eradicate Jews,” Barnett said.
“This is one reason why the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has in recent years backed greater protections for LGBTIQA+ people. We call on the government to treat anti-LGBTIQA+ hate as seriously as antisemitic hate. There is no room for either in Australia.”
The government on Monday released the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, which prohibits vilification and hate-motivated crime on the basis of race, but no other attributes.
Just.Equal Australia spokesperson Rodney Croome said passing laws against only one kind of hate meant other forms were seen as legitimate and less deserving of a response.
“One important lesson from the Bondi tragedy is that the Government shouldn’t wait until attacks escalate before taking tough action against hate,” Croome said.
“National hate speech and hate crime laws should cover LGBTIQA+ people as well as all other Australians vulnerable to hate. The Prime Minister has said ‘more could have been done’ to prevent the Bondi attack, so let’s now do more, not less.”
The statement from Aleph Melbourne and Just.Equal Australia documented an alarming increase in anti-LGBTIQA+ attacks in recent years, often overlapping with antisemitism.
In 2025, Melbourne gay venues Laird Hotel and Eagle Leather were defaced with white supremacist slogans on the same night Jewish venues were targeted.
In 2023, neo-Nazis endorsed and gave the Nazi salute at a Melbourne protest and rally against people who are transgender, drawing an association between racial purity and gender purity. In the same year, neo-Nazis targeted a Jewish drag queen in Melbourne.
In 2020, a Melbourne golf course was defaced by homophobic and antisemitic graffiti, and in 2021 a fresh concrete path in Melbourne was defaced with “Kill Gays” and swastikas.
The Private Lives 3 study conducted by La Trobe University in 2020-21, which surveyed almost 7000 LGBTIQA+ Australians, found 35 per cent had experienced verbal abuse including hateful phone calls, 24 per cent had experienced being spat at and offensive gestures, 22 per cent had experienced written threats of abuse via emails and social media, and 15 per cent had experienced threats of physical violence, physical attack or assault without a weapon.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim identified the lack of protection for other attributes as one of four shortcomings in the proposed legislation.
“The offence is limited to the promotion of hatred of others on the basis of their race. Promoting hatred on the basis of other inherent attributes such as gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability will not be proscribed. People who are targeted for hatred on the basis of these other attributes are equally entitled to protection,” Wertheim said.
Federal parliament will be recalled next Monday and Tuesday to pass the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, which could see hardline Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir finally proscribed.
The Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14 killed 15 people during a Chanukah celebration.
Media Release
Tuesday January 13th 2025
LGBTIQA+ Jewish group call for broader protections in proposed anti-hate bill
Attacks on LGBTIQA+ Community Parallel Antisemitic Attacks
An Australian Jewish LGBTIQA+ group wants the Federal Government to prohibit hate speech against LGBTIQA+ people as well as the Jewish community.
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson, Michael Barnett, said
“It makes no sense to us that half our identity is protected from hate and the other half isn’t.”
“The same ideology is being used to drive attacks on both the LGBTIQA+ and Jewish communities. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists want to eradicate gay and trans people as much as they want to eradicate Jews.”
“This is one reason why the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has in recent years backed greater protections for LGBTIQA+ people.”
“We call on the government to treat anti-LGBTIQA+ hate as seriously as antisemitic hate. There is no room for either in Australia.”
The Government today released a bill responding to the Bondi tragedy by prohibiting vilification and hate-motivated crime on the basis of race, but no other attributes.
Spokesperson for Just.Equal Australia, Rodney Croome, said,
“Passing laws against only one kind of hate means other forms are seen as legitimate and less deserving of a response.”
“One important lesson from the Bondi tragedy is that the Government shouldn’t wait until attacks escalate before taking tough action against hate.”
“National hate speech and hate crime laws should cover LGBTIQA+ people as well as all other Australians vulnerable to hate.”
“The Prime Minister has said ‘more could have been done’ to prevent the Bondi attack, so let’s now do more, not less.”
There has been an alarming increase in the number of anti-LGBTIQA+ attacks in recent years, often overlapping with antisemitism:
2020: Melbourne golf course defaced by homophobic and antisemitic graffiti
2021: Fresh concrete path in Melbourne defaced with “Kill Gays” and swastikas
http://www.outinperth.com/alarm-as-anti-gay-messages-and-nazi-graffiti-found-in-melbourne/
2021: Transgender flags outside Hobart Town Hall vandalised
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-23/transgender-flags-vandalised-at-hobart-town-hall/100643254
2023: A right wing mob violently attacked a group of LGBTIQA+ protesters holding a peaceful vigil in Belfield (NSW). Riot Squad responded.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/two-charged-after-protest-outside-mark-latham-speech/102127830
2023: A group of men shut down a “Wear It Purple” LGBTIQA+ information stall at Bankstown Central Shopping Centre (NSW), ripping down rainbow flags, spitting and hurling abuse.
2023: Neo-Nazis endorsed, and gave the Nazi salute at, a Melbourne protest and rally against people who are transgender, drawing an association between racial purity and gender purity.
2023: Anti-LGBTIQA+ hardliners threaten violence against Monash library and force closure of drag storytime event
http://www.outinperth.com/monash-council-cancels-drag-storytime-event-following-violent-threats
2023: Neo-Nazis target Jewish drag queen in Melbourne
2024: Cumberland City Council (NSW) banned books on same-sex parenting from its municipal library citing the “religious views” of the community. The ban was overturned 15 days later, but not until a significant venting of anti-LGBTIQA+ hate speech.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Cumberland_book_ban
2024: anti-LGBTIQA+ groups in Albany (WA) tore down Pride Festival posters and flags, called for LGBTIQA+ books to be banned from the library, harassed librarians and claimed an association between the LGBTIQA+ community and paedophiles.
2025: Melbourne gay venues Laird Hotel and Eagle Leather defaced with the same white supremacist slogans on the same night Jewish venues were targeted.
https://qnews.com.au/gay-bar-laird-hotel-graffitied-with-homophobic-vandalism
2025: Five teenage boys were gaoled in Western Australia for “planned and premediated” attacks on gay men, with one man punched, tasered and threatened with drowning.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-23/teenagers-detention-grindr-attacks-men-perth/105807670
2025: Pride flags torn down in Launceston
2025: Gay men targeted by violent gangs in Melbourne and other cities
2025: Transgender memorial in Hobart repeatedly vandalised and painted with Nazi symbol
The ‘Private Lives 3’ study conducted by La Trobe University in 2020/21, which surveyed almost 7,000 LGBTIQA+ Australians found:
Click to access Private-Lives-3.pdf
35% had experienced verbal abuse, including hateful phone calls
24% had experienced being spat at and offensive gestures
22% had experienced written threats of abuse via emails, social media
15% had experienced threats of physical violence, physical attack or assault without a weapon
11% had received written threats of abuse
4% had deliberate damage to property or vandalism of a house
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Michael Barnett, co-convenor, Aleph Melbourne, 0417 595 541, or Rodney Croome, Just.Equal Australia, 0409 010 668
[PDF]
https://qnews.com.au/a-hierarchy-of-harm-labors-hate-speech-laws-exclude-lgbtqia-australians
On July 12 and 13 The Klaxon broke news that John Roth, the husband of Australia’s Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal, donated $50,000 to Advance:
In the July 18 2025 ECAJ Weekly Update Daniel Aghion wrote the following of Jillian Segal:
This past week, we have seen a smear campaign attacking the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism, soon after its launch last week.
This concerted campaign has focused on just a couple of details in a wide-ranging programme of 49 key actions in 13 focus areas, and (most outrageously) attacked the Antisemitism Envoy herself personally, for her husband’s private political activity.
I am not going to discuss the personal attacks on the Antisemitism Envoy herself – other than to say it is the lowest form of smear tactics – because they are irrelevant to the merits of her plan.
Amongst the range of marginalised groups that Advance copiously hates on are LGBTIQA+ people. With pathological obsession, they have posted multitudes of negative articles over many years demonising us.
Hearing that Australia’s Antisemitism Envoy is unprepared to call out such bigotry is beyond comprehension. She would realise homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are as insidious as antisemitism. It beggars belief that a person appointed by the government to combat hate and intolerance does not know what all forms of hate and intolerance look like.
Unforgivable
THE Friday after news broke that
Jillian Segal's husband's family
trust donated $50,000 to the far
right lobby group Advance, ECAJ
president Daniel Aghion claimed
criticism levelled at her for her hus-
band's donation was "outrageous"
and a "smear tactic"
It's not without precedent that
public figures have been called out
for their spouse's actions, such as
when Senator James Paterson held
Monique Ryan accountable for her
husband's removal of a sign in the
recent federal election. Rightly or
wrongly, Ryan took the fall for her
husband's indiscretion and apol-
ogised.
The nature of the role of the
antisemitism envoy is to combat
racism and hatred. For that person
to remain silent on a significant
donation by her spouse to an outfit
that has racism and hate in its DNA
beggars belief, and to my thinking
amounts to tacit endorsement. She
does not need to apologise for her
husband, but to remain silent on
who he donated to is unforgivable.
Michael Barnett
Ashwood, Vic
Defending Advance
MICHAEL Barnett (A/N 25/07)
fulminates about antisemitism
envoy Jillian Segal's husband
making a donation to Advance
Australia. Advance is anything but
a "far right lobby group". The
Jewish community has much to be
thankful for to Advance. For start-
ers they were instrumental in pre
venting the virulently antisemitic
Greens from achieving a danger-
ous foothold in the last election.
As for Barnett's claim that
Advance is filled with "racism
and hate", he would be good
to remember that the work of
Advance in helping to defeat the
Voice referendum saved Australia
from a dangerously racially divi
sive situation from evolving. Any
organisation, like Advance, which
espouses conservative ideals and
fights against the destruction of
the values of Western civilisation is
labelled by Barnett and those of his
ilk as "far-right" by default.
The Jewish community has
come to realise in recent times that
the left are not our friends, but in
Barnett's case the message seems
to be taking somewhat longer to
sink in.
Robert Weil
Highett, Vic
Not the same
IT is not helpful when progressive
activists such as Michael Barnett
spout reflexive hysterical hyperbole
for political gain rather than care-
fully analysing a situation
His comparison of Jillian Segal's
husband's donation to lobby
group Advance with the actions
of Monique Ryan's husband is
just wild fantasy. Any student of
critical thinking could easily see
that Segal's husband John Roth
donated the money in his own
right, and which had nothing to
do with his wife's work.
On the other hand, the removal
of promotional signs by Monique
Ryan's husband was active inter.
ference on behalf of her campaign
with the express purpose of giving
her an electoral advantage
Alan Freedman
St Kilda East. Vic
August 8 2025: The Klaxon reveals Jillian Segal is never too far away from her husband’s donations: EXCLUSIVE: Segal’s “husband” donation claims a sham
A few thoughts about recent parallel homophobic and antisemitic attacks in Melbourne, and how queer activism in the Jewish community over the past few decades has been transformational.
Aleph Melbourne is committed to both the welfare of LGBTIQA+ people and combatting antisemitism in Melbourne’s Jewish Community.
On discovering J United’s decision to fund a campaign with money from Advance (“Jewish-led anti-Greens campaign launches“; AJN Jan 30 2025), the latter an organisation that strongly campaigns against transgender rights, Aleph Melbourne co-convenor Michael Barnett responded with a letter to the editor.
It alarms me that J United has resorted to taking money from conservative lobby group Advance, which has campaigned hard against LGBTIQA+, Indigenous and other progressive causes for many years. History has taught us that people who are intolerant of diversity tend to be intolerant of Jews too. When a Jewish organisation takes money and in-kind support from Advance, they are inadvertently harming other vulnerable minorities in the pursuit of eradicating antisemitism.
I can’t say whether Advance genuinely care about Jews and antisemitism, however I am confident their motivation is not rooted in benevolence. They are a hardline outfit that promotes division and intolerance. I call on the Jewish community to fundraise from reputable sources.
Michael Barnett
Ashwood, Vic
Aleph Melbourne will continue to stand up for the rights, visibility and inclusion of all LGBTIQ+ people, both in the Jewish community and beyond it.
UPDATE: March 12 2025
Two responses to this letter were published in the Australian Jewish News (“Defending Advance” by Michael Burd; Feb 21 2025 and “Straightforward” by Dan Coleman; Feb 28 2025):
Media Release
Wednesday July 10th 2024
Anti-Semitism envoy highlights need for LGBTIQA+ rights commissioner
Just.Equal Australia has renewed its call for a national LGBTIQA+ Commissioner following the appointment of Jillian Segal as Australia’s first anti-Semitism envoy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the appointment of Segal is in response to rising hate, will “promote social cohesion” and will be followed by the appointment of an envoy against Islamophobia.
Just.Equal Australia spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,
“The appointment of envoys against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, highlights the absence of a national official advocating for the LGBTIQA+ community.”
“Rising hate against LGBTIQA+ people demands a response from the federal government in the form of an LGBTIQA+ Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.”
“The Australian Human Rights Commission has commissioners for first nations, culturally diverse communities, women, older and younger people, people with disability, and for human rights, but no dedicated commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Australians.”
“This sends the message that the human rights of LGBTIQA+ people, and discrimination against us, are less important.”
Mr Croome said the Sex Discrimination Commissioner has an advisor on LGBTIQA+ human rights, but this is not enough to deal with the many challenges faced by LGBTIQA+ people or to send the message that their rights matter.
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
In February 2023 Aleph Melbourne lodged a submission with the Australian Law Reform Commission’s enquiry into Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws.
The ALRC released the report into the enquiry in December 2023, and on March 21 2024 the report was tabled in Parliament.
Aleph Melbourne’s submission was referenced on page 91 in the report, in relation to Section 4.23 point 2:
ALRC-ADL-Final-Report-142-pp90-914.23 In relation to submissions made to the ALRC in this Inquiry, key reasons underpinning stakeholder support for Proposition A.1 were:
- coherence with international and domestic law;14
- reducing the risk of harm to vulnerable students;15
- supporting inclusion and diversity;16 and
- compulsory school education is a public good, supported by public funding, so schools should be safe environments for all students, and should be accountable to community expectations.17
[Source]
Federation Chamber
CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Zyngier, Dr David
Thursday, 30 November 2023
Mr BURNS (Macnamara) (09:33): I rise with sadness to acknowledge the passing of Dr David Zyngier this past weekend. David was a sitting councillor in the city of Glen Eira and a passionate advocate for social justice, education and our community. David’s passing came as a great shock to all of us. David was the son of Holocaust survivors from Poland, and he was the first in his family to complete high school and attend university. He graduated from Monash University, where he later returned as an academic and as an educator.
David was a well-respected member of our Jewish community. We didn’t always agree on things—in fact, we often didn’t agree on things—but I respected his intellect and his willingness to tackle difficult issues. He was a leader in the youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, a principal of the King David School, an active member of his synagogue, a member of the Jewish Climate Network and a fierce advocate for LGBTIQ+ rights in our community. He was elected as the councillor for Camden Ward in the city of Glen Eira just a few years ago, and he quickly became a passionate advocate for climate action and public services on the council. He co-founded the Glen Eira Emergency Climate Action Network and helped to develop the council’s target of achieving net zero council emissions by 2025.
David and I belonged to different political parties. Indeed, not only did he not vote for me but he actively campaigned against me at the last election. He was a proud member of the Greens. But, before he drifted into that journey, David actually launched my campaign, in 2014, when I was a candidate in the state election. He was a friend. I think he probably had sympathy for both our parties, but in the end he made the decision, he stuck with it and he was proud of that association.
David was respectful, kind and compassionate. He was an active member of our community and he always sought to represent people in the best way he knew how. He came into my office frequently. He would sit down and, as we had a cup of tea, he would try and convince me of what actions needed to happen, usually on a council matter. He would push for things like greater bike paths, greater active citizenship and, obviously, climate action as well. He joined our campaign in the referendum and was a big part of the Macnamara for Yes campaign, even though he was unwell at the time.
Throughout his life he committed himself to research, to education, to activism and to community life. He was a good man, he was a smart man, he was a community man and he enriched our community by all of his efforts. To his wife, Suzanne, and his children, Romy, Talia and Joel, I send my deepest condolences. I also send my condolences to the Greens and the broader Greens community. As we say in the Jewish tradition, may his memory be a blessing.
[PDF]
I was recently approached by Hashy to deliver a talk at their 2023 Queer Night, having done so at their 2022 event. I was delighted to be invited back, and warmly accepted the offer.
I asked the date and was told it would be Sunday October 15. That’s going to be a big day for the country, being the day after the referendum. I had to come up with a topic for my talk and after a few minutes I realised I had lived through a moment in history that perfectly connected my journey with Aleph with where we are today with the Voice referendum, and that would inform my talk.
Let me explain.
In 1998 Aleph Melbourne approached the Jewish Community Council of Victoria about applying to become an affiliate of the council. The rationale for wanting to join the council was to be a voice for gay and bisexual men (as that was who we supported at the time, prior to us representing LGBTIQ+ people in 2007). We wanted to have a place at the table, to talk about how we were discriminated against, faced unique health issues, suicide, stigma, taboo, etc. We felt that if we had a voice at the council people might understand our issues better, and be more open to helping us defeat the hurdles and setbacks that challenged us.
Our application was supported by their executive and the then-president Philip Bliss. We were also forewarned the journey might be difficult. Our committee resolved to proceed with the application, which set in motion a chain of events that led to one of the biggest controversies the Melbourne Jewish community has ever experienced. Once the news of our application hit the Jewish media there was constant media coverage, with many in the community – notably schools and youth groups – showing support, and (not so) many claiming a homosexual group in the Jewish council would divide the community and cause irreparable harm. Orthodox Rabbis and conservative community stalwarts spoke stridently about how we had an agenda, and how halacha (Jewish law) considered homosexuality a sin, and Aleph was an organisation that was not deserving of a seat at the community table.
At one stage a collection of mainstream organisations threatened to withdraw their membership if Aleph became a member. And then Rabbi Lubofsky stood up at the fateful meeting in May 1999 and wove a hurtful story of how Aleph wanted to go into schools (yes, we wanted to give educational books to school libraries), and how parents should fear our agenda. We were apparently going to split the community, infiltrate schools, run rampant through the community and wreak harm at every step of the way. I do remember in particular a young Gabi Crafti spoke up and eloquently spoke in favour of Aleph’s membership application. She was the voice of reason, the voice of humanity, and the voice of a generation who understood why it was important for gay and bisexual men to be included, not excluded.
We failed in our opportunity to become a member of the council in 1999 at a vote of the plenum, but not by much. In 2015 the now-defunct Keshet LGBT group did become a JCCV member, a sign of how times had changed. In 2017 the JCCV affiliates voted unanimously to support the civil marriage equality campaign. Being queer in 2017 was no longer the problem for the mainstream Jewish community that it was in 1999.
In May 2020 Aleph, together with 21 other Jewish organisations, co-signed a statement “Voice, Treaty, Truth – Jewish organisations reaffirm support for First Nations Australians from the heart”. Part of the statement, at the link prior, reads:
We reaffirm our full-hearted support for:
– amendment of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Constitution;
Aleph represents people who face discrimination, marginalisation and health challenges. Our people also have a lot to offer society. And on that basis we stand up alongside other communities who face similar challenges, have similar ideals and aspirations, and who want to live their lives to the fullest. We all want gaps closed, disadvantages turned around, and lives celebrated.
To that end, with our history in mind, and having committed in 2020 to supporting a First Nations Voice, we stand strong in believing that a constituted voice will do more good than bad for first nations Australians. The Voice is simply an advisory committee to the Parliament and the Executive Government, and amounts to a place at the table.
If you’re voting in the referendum, I urge you to take time to find out the facts and make an informed decision. I certainly won’t tell anyone how to vote, but I know in my heart, having come on this journey, that it makes for an easier time if you have a voice at the table than if you don’t.
Michael.
