The hard fought for gains of one generation can pave the way for the next, but the road to equality is never straight. After meaningful progress for LGBTQIA+ people in recent years, that same community is now faced with some setbacks, and a rising hostility,  So why are the human rights of LGBTIQA+ people being challenged, curtailed and politicised right now?  The 2025 Higinbotham Lecture at RMIT University was recorded on 15 October 2025. Speakers Joe Ball Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities Dr Shelley Marshall (host)  Professor of Law, and Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) of the School of Law at RMIT University