What is the Racial Discrimination Act?
The Racial Discrimination Act was enacted in Australia in 1975, and stipulates that it is illegal to discriminate against people based upon their race, color, ethnicity and immigration status. The law did not cover other kinds of discrimination, such as that based upon sexual orientation, which were later covered in subsequent legislation, such as the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984. Under the Racial Discrimination Act, a number of discriminatory acts were made unlawful. For example, it is against the law to refuse work, services, education, or access to premises based on race. Other areas covered under the legislation include living accommodations, participation in clubs, access to government programs and participation in sports.
