SAME-sex adoption is now legal in Queensland after it was passed in the state parliament yesterday.

“Discriminatory barriers that prevent LGBTI Queenslanders from being able to adopt a child have no place in our community or in our laws,” says Minister for Communities Shannon Fentiman.

“I am so proud Queensland has tonight voted to join other Australian states and territories to remove this archaic chapter from our adoption laws. It is only fair members of our LGBTI community have the same rights as any other Queenslander, and that includes the right to raise a family with an adopted child.”

Fentiman said the new laws were passed despite the LNP voting against them. She said the Queensland community did not tolerate discrimination.

The change to the law follows a statutory review of the state’s Adoption Act 2009, which asked community members to share their experience of adoption and make recommendations about how the process can be improved.

More than 350 Queenslanders and organisations responded, with the vast majority supportive of the removal of barriers preventing same-sex couples, single people and couples undergoing fertility treatment, from adopting.

“These reforms bring Queensland into line with New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania,” Fentiman said.

“These new laws will ensure our legislation is contemporary and reflects the needs and experiences of children requiring adoption in Queensland, now and into the future.”

Fentiman said adoption provides a permanent family and legal identity for a small number of children in Queensland who cannot live with their birth family. The reforms will also remove the offence and penalty for a breach of contact statement for adoptions prior to June 1991, facilitate face-to-face contact during interim adoption orders between an adoptee and their birth family, improve access to information and streamline the step-parent application process.

“Offence provisions are associated with past practices that are no longer appropriate,” Fentiman said.

“The removal of these provisions will further honour the apology given by Parliament to Queenslanders who were affected by past forced adoption practices.”

Fentiman said the new law will also improve access to information by an adoptee, birth parents or an adult relative.

“This recognises the difficulties in tracing family members who have lost contact with the department, and the importance to people over generations to gain this information in order to both preserve their family history and their own personal story,” she said.