Rodney Croome

Rodney Croome AM is the spokesperson for the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, campaign coordinator of Australian Marriage Equality, and one of the founders of the Australian Coalition for Equality (ACE).

He fronted the successful campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in Tasmania, which until 1 May 1997 was a criminal offense punishable by up to 25 years in jail. That campaign saw Tasmanian activists take their case to the United Nations (Toonen v Australia), the Federal Government and the High Court.

He has also been the editor of Tasmanian literary magazine Island.

In early 2004, Croome predicted that the Howard Government would legislate to rule out the possibility for same-sex marriage. On 13 August 2004, such a law was passed by the government, with support from the then Labor Opposition.

Croome continues to advocate marriage equality and other LGBT causes. In 2010, he co-authored a book presenting the "Yes/No" cases for marriage equality, entitled WHY vs WHY: Gay Marriage (Pantera Press).

Honours & Awards

In recognition of his work Rodney was:

• the inaugural recipient of the Tasmanian Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1991;
• the inaugural recipient of the national Chris Carter Memorial Award for contributions to the gay and lesbian community in 1991;
• a joint recipient of the 1994 Melbourne Rainbow Award for contributions to the gay and lesbian community;
• short listed, along with 11 other Australians, for Australian of the Year in 1994;
• the inaugural recipient of the Tasmania Day Community Service Award 2000;
• awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2003; and
• made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003
• In 2009, Croome was named one of the 25 most influential gay Australians by readers of the website samesame.com.au.

External links

• Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG) website
• Rodney Croome's Blog
• Icelandic Human Rights Centre: Sexual Privacy
• Australian Marriage Equality (AME) website