Western Australia’s leading LGBTIQA+ advocacy organisation has urgently called on the State Government to enact sexual vilification legislation, following the circulation of disturbing queerphobic flyers in letterboxes throughout Perth’s central business district.
Man Charged Over Obscene Leaflets
A 47-year-old man from Gosnells has been charged after a police investigation into the distribution of thousands of indecent leaflets across the Perth metropolitan area. Between July 2024 and March 2026, approximately 40 reports were lodged with police regarding the allegedly queerphobic flyers.
The leaflets reportedly contained offensive commentary and images targeting men in the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of the flyers also allegedly featured obscene images, according to police.
A joint investigation by the State Security Investigation Group and Perth detectives led to a search warrant being executed at a residence in Gosnells on April 29. Several electronic devices were seized, and the man was charged with five counts of leaving indecent or obscene articles in a place. He is scheduled to appear before Perth Magistrates Court on July 15.
Pressure Mounts for Legal Reform
The charges follow sustained pressure on the State Government to introduce sexual vilification laws, after similar behaviour was reported earlier this year. Dozens of letterboxes in suburbs including Victoria Park, West Perth, Highgate, and Maylands were littered with shocking flyers allegedly targeting Perth’s LGBTQIA+ community. It remains unclear whether these incidents are connected.
Misty Farquhar, chief executive of Rainbow Futures WA, described the leaflets as a form of hate speech, as they targeted people “purely on the basis of their sexuality.”
“A lot of the flyers are accusing people of being criminals in sexual ways… accusing them of being paedophiles or other kinds of sexual predators when they are based on nothing,” Dr Farquhar said.
Government Review of Equal Opportunity Act
The State Government’s overhaul of the Equal Opportunity Act, which would prohibit vilification based on religion, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, remains ongoing. The reform was announced in 2022 following 163 recommendations from the Law Reform Commission to strengthen and improve Western Australia’s anti-discrimination laws.
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