Discrimination

Download the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 fact sheet (PDF File, 782.7 KB)

An easy read guide to the Anti-Discrimination Act is also available to read online or download as a pdf.

The Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 makes unfair discrimination, sexual harassment, vilification, and victimisation unlawful in Queensland.

The Act outlines the characteristics that are protected from discrimination, the areas in which discrimination is unlawful - for example, at work or school - and the other types of behaviours made unlawful by the Act, including sexual harassment and vilification.

Complaints about behaviour that contravenes the Act can be lodged with us at the Commission.

Read the Anti-Discrimination Act in full on the Queensland parliament website

There are also anti-discrimination laws at the federal level in Australia, with specific Acts prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, race, disability and age. Federal and state laws sometimes overlap.

Find out more about discrimination laws around Australia on the Australian Human Rights Commission website

Complaints about any of the conduct covered by the Act can be lodged with us here at the Commission. Our process aims to try and resolve complaints through conciliation. This is a ‘civil’ claim, and the Commission is an impartial body in this process. If the complaint is unable to be resolved, it may progress to a tribunal.

Find out more about our complaints process

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What is discrimination according to the Act?

Not all treatment that seems unfair is unlawful discrimination under the Act.

For conduct to be unlawful discrimination under the Act, it must:

  1. Be based on an attribute listed in the Act;
  2. Take place in an area of activity listed in the Act; and
  3. Result in you being treated less favourably than someone without that attribute.

The Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of the following attributes:

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When and where is discrimination unlawful?

The Act defines certain areas where discrimination on any of the attributes above is unlawful. These are:

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Are there any exceptions?

The Act contains some exemptions that are specific to an area of activity, as well as some general exemptions. These are situations where the conduct is not unlawful. It is also possible for businesses, organisations and individuals to be granted an exemption to the Act by a tribunal.

Read more information about exemptions

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What else does the Act prohibit?

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is done either to offend, humiliate or intimidate another person, or where it is reasonable to expect the person might feel that way. It includes uninvited physical intimacy such as touching in a sexual way, uninvited sexual propositions, and remarks with sexual connotations.

Find out more about sexual harassment and the Act

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Victimisation

Victimisation happens when someone is treated badly because they:

  • refused to do something that would contravene the Anti-Discrimination Act;
  • complained about something that is unlawful under the Act; or
  • were involved in another person’s complaint under the Act.

Read more about victimisation and the Act.

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Vilification

Vilification is a public act or statement that incites hatred towards, severe ridicule of, or serious contempt for a person or a group of people because of their race, religion, sexuality or gender identity. There are two tiers of vilification under the Act: unlawful vilification, which is a civil matter, and serious vilification, which is a criminal offence.

Find out more about vilification and the Act.

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Other contraventions

The Act also makes the following conduct unlawful:

  • requesting or encouraging a contravention of the Act;
  • requesting unnecessary information;
  • discriminatory advertising.

Read more about other contraventions of the Act.

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Discrimination in large resource projects

The Act also protects residents of regional towns near large resource projects from being excluded from working on the projects. There are three different types of discrimination that are prohibited:

  • disadvantaging a local resident in a recruitment process
  • not offering work during recruitment to a person because they are a local resident
  • dismissing a worker because they are, or become, a local resident and they choose to travel to the project other than as a fly-in fly-out worker.

Read more about discrimination in large resource projects

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