Victoria’s first gender and sexuality commissioner, Rowena Allen, has spoken of her own experience of homophobia as she set out her plans to tackle inequality and discrimination.

As a youth worker in Shepparton nearly 30 years ago, Allen was often interviewed on local television about social issues, including her work with LGBTI youth.

“From the day I spoke about these issues and appeared on television I experienced homophobia, everything from physical assault to my car being vandalised,” Allen said.

“I can’t imagine that sort of thing happening in Shepparton now, but we still have a long way to go to achieve equality.”

Allen, whose appointment was announced on Wednesday, said she would focus on policies and attitudes in regional areas and the corporate sector.

She has worked with three Victorian government LGBTI ministerial advisory groups, including chairing the committee on LGBTI health between 2007 and 2009. She also established Victoria’s first rural support group for young LGBTI people.

In her role as gender and sexuality commissioner, Allen would review existing legislation to ensure it was non-discriminatory, partner with researchers from universities and non-government organisations, and address discrimination against LGBTI people in the health system, schools and workplaces, she told Guardian Australia.

The corporate sector in particular needed to change. Only about 5% of people transitioning to another gender kept their employment, she said, thanks partly to a lack of understanding and support from employers.

“Regardless of people’s health and wellbeing, from a productivity perspective, it’s not ideal to lose people from the workplace,” Allen said.

“Perhaps employers could offer to hold a welcome morning tea to mark the transition, to name it. It might not take much to show support.”

A report from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society found trans men and women fared worse across many socioeconomic indicators, including education and income, than nearly all other gender identity and sexual identity groups.

That disadvantage was likely to be driving higher rates of psychological distress among the group, the study found.



A separate study, from the University of Wollongong, found lesbian women experienced four types of homophobia when entering the healthcare system; exclusion from services and healthcare; heterosexual assumption; inappropriate questioning; and outright refusal of services.



Allen said she would work with hospitals and doctors to bring this kind of discrimination to an end.



“I believe we should start to champion good doctors and hospitals and reward them for good behaviour. I’d like to offer an award for ‘hospital of the year’ in relation to diversity, and work with institutions to give them a rainbow accreditation so patients know they can go there and feel heard,” she said.

“Working with LGBTI people must be embedded in medical training – at the moment in about eight years of training, they get one day on the needs of the LGBTI community.”

Allen’s appointment to the position was announced by the minister for equality, Martin Foley, on Wednesday.

“Equality is non-negotiable,” Foley said. “Every Victorian has the right to be who they are, and genuine to their identity. The LGBTI community continues to be over-represented in so many areas of disadvantage. We believe they are particularly discriminated against still.”

The Victorian government has already begun a review of adoption laws to remove discrimination against same-sex couples, and has increased mental health funding for programs that work with LGBTI people.