A lobby group is now making news headlines in Queensland, and fortunately this time it isn’t the Australian Christian Lobby.

The new Queenslanders for Equality is a campaign spearheaded by outspoken Queensland psychologist and LGBTI activist Paul Martin.

Martin launched the new campaign over the weekend to begin lobbying against the State Government’s validation of homophobic attitudes.

Since March, the Queensland Government has cut gay health funding, changed the civil unions legislation, and now seeks to ban singles, some de facto couples and same-sex couples from using a surrogacy to have children.

The situation is particularly depressing for older Queenslanders who lived in the repressive Joh Bjelke-Petersen era, points out Martin. He says his practise has been inundated with new clients suffering anxiety, depression, substance abuse and other psychological disorders since the new State Government came into power.

Queenslanders for Equality launched last weekend in Brisbane, with those present including concerned citizens along with representatives from a variety of community groups and political persuasions – including Labor Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, Labor MP Jackie Trad, PFLAG Spokesperson Shelley Argent, David Graham, Paul Martin, Family Lawyer Stephen Page, Priest Ray Richmond and Australian Marriage Equality National Convener Alex Greenwich, all uniting to combine forces and fight the State Government’s attack on the LGBTI community.

During the launch, Martin handed Opposition Leader Palaszuk an e-petition with close to 5,000 signatures protesting against the proposed changes to the Surrogacy Act. Palaszcuk has promised to table it in parliament.

With the Cabinet considering making the changes to the surrogacy laws within the next two months, which suspiciously falls under the duration of the recent media ban placed on Parliament sittings, many are welcoming Queenslanders for Equality as another voice to assist in the battle for equality that is taking place in Queensland.

You can sign the petition yourself by clicking here.

For everything else you need to know about the exciting new lobby group, click over to QueenslandersForEquality.com here

Meanwhile, PFLAG spokesperson and Queenslanders for Equality member Shelley Argent has taken out an attention-grabbing ad in today’s Courier-Mail. It’s a stirring open letter to State Premier Campbell Newman. Read it below.