Internationally renowned harness racing driver Steven Shinn is sure he was sacked from a prominent job in the racing industry simply because he is gay.

He’s told Perth Now newspaper that he’s lodged his case with the Fair Work Australia tribunal and wants his situation to empower other LGBT people who may be in the same situation.

The RWWA employed him as a senior harness racing steward in April 2008, but was soon told by the chairman: “None of your colleagues want to work with you”.

Shinn recounts: “I asked one of my managers, ‘Is this a gay thing?’

“The manager said, ‘Before you arrived here, we heard you were fired in Adelaide because your boss walked in on you naked with your boyfriend’, which was a complete lie.”

More than 100 key trotting figures have signed a petition protesting Shinn’s dismissal.

“I want to draw attention to the plight of the thousands of gay and lesbian people and those from other minorities who daily suffer from both overt and latent discrimination still prevalent in this country,” the wronged horse rider concludes.

Discriminating against LGBT people in the workplace is illegal under Australian law. The Fair Work Australia tribunal can help in situations like this – find out more and contact them via their official website.