So now we have a woman in charge. And in a few short months, she’ll be asking our people for votes in Australia’s General Election.

Same Same asked a range of leading Aussie LGBT voices to share their initial thoughts about our new Prime Minister.

Michael Rolik
CEO of New Mardi Gras:

Julia Gillard is a popular figure within the GLBTI community, and New Mardi Gras congratulates her on becoming Prime Minister.

On this day, 32 years ago, we saw hundreds of courageous protesters take to the streets in the first Mardi Gras Parade.

Today we celebrate that anniversary as a date for change and optimism, and celebrate the installment of Australia’s first female Prime Minister. This morning’s events send an important message that there is a place for all Australians in public life.

The Rudd Government began the process of delivering major reforms for gay and lesbian equality throughout their first term. We look forward to a Gillard Government continuing that process.

Crusader Hillis
CEO of the ALSO Foundation – Victoria’s peak body for GLBTI issues and community network:

Julia Gillard has performed very well as Deputy Prime Minister. She demonstrated unwavering loyalty to Kevin Rudd during his time as PM.

Having the first woman Prime Minister of Australia is something to celebrate in itself, although it’s worrying that women often gain the top Labor job at times of crisis. They are often expected to do miracles in terms of cementing public approval during difficult times.

Gillard has shown with her performance so far, however, that she is a tough politician with clear purpose. For the GLBTIQ community, I hope we are gaining a Prime Minister who is unafraid to stand up for our equality, whether that be finally standardizing laws around respect of gender identity and changes to official documents, or admitting that same-sex marriage is an equal right that all Australians should have.

Gillard’s track record is good, and I hope she gets the chance to prove herself as the leader we need at the moment.

Paul Lee-Maynard
President of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association:

My initial reaction is of surprise at the speed the events unfolded. No doubt the electorate will make it clear in due course whether they are supportive of the approach taken by the Labor party in pursuing a resolution to wider concerns about Kevin Rudd’s ability to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming election.

Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has demonstrated her support of issue affecting our communities to be primarily to be along party lines and her position on same-sex marriage is well known.

The coming months will give Prime Minister Gillard the opportunity to make her views known and I personally implore her to consider issues pertinent to the GLBT community as matters that should be central to her social agenda.

Rodney Croome
Spokesperson for the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group:

I’m pleased we have a female Prime Minister, and one who isn’t said to base LGBT policy on “personal faith”.

It seems unlikely Julia Gillard will support marriage equality, but I’m hopeful she’ll be more open to talking to us about it. I’m also hopeful she’ll allow a stronger commitment from Labor on national sexuality and gender identity discrimination laws.

John Frame
Long-standing Brisbane queer political activist:

Since he became Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has doggedly refused any attempt by interviewers or the public on shows like Q&A to actually justify why Labor is opposed to same sex marriage. The response was limited to saying that Labor policy is opposed to it. To me it seems this is the one issue of importance which Rudd refused to discuss with honesty or any attempt at logic. I expect that’s because he’s a genuinely good Christian, and he knows it is morally unsupportable to exclude same sex couples and their families from the societal validation which is inherent in marriage.

My hope for Julia Gillard is that she at least discuss the matter of same sex marriage in an open and honest manner. My further hope is that the Labor Party under her leadership ensure that they change their Policy to declare commitment to true, not partial or selective, equity for all – including those who are same sex attracted, transgender and intersex.

Alex Greenwich
Australian Marriage Equality’s National Convener:

We are hopeful Prime Minister Gillard will be more open to discussing marriage equality than her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, and so we have asked for a meeting to put our case.

Although Julia Gillard has previously opposed marriage equality, we want an opportunity to appeal to her stated values of inclusion, fairness and equity.

As a sign of goodwill, the AME will call a temporary halt to our campaign of leafleting tens of thousands of homes in key inner-city Government-held electorates with the message that Labor does not support equality.

If Prime Minister Gillard can show Labor is open to allowing same-sex couples to marry there is less need for our campaign.

Tim Wilson
Melbourne-based political commentator/activist:

Today is clearly a momentous day in Australian politics with the end of the Rudd era and the election by Labor Party MPs and factional bosses of a female leader. It is disappointing that female leaders always seem to be handed power in the first instance through internal party machinations, rather than through the ballot box.

Julia Gillard is a formidable political operator who has a patchy history of bad policies and poorly implemented schemes. She was a supporter and responsible for some of the worst Rudd government programs and she’ll need to lift her game as Prime Minister.

The Rudd government was big on symbolism, but not on delivery. Gillard has be to break that dynamic and stand up for what is right and then deliver on it.

For the GLBTI community the legacy of the Rudd government couldn’t be clearer. The Rudd government talked big about changes to ensure everyone will be treated equally under the law, but didn’t deliver. And all the evidence is that Gillard supported Rudd every step of the way.

Australia is a fair minded country. But many of the changes the GLBTI community want require broad community support. The Rudd government didn’t show much leadership in the area. And that includes Gillard. Considering Gillard’s radical past she is unlikely to now.

The GLBTI community shouldn’t get it hopes up, because it is likely to be disappointed again.