section_path: Political views/Social issues
section_name: Social issues
paragraph_text: Social issues
  
  Albanese supports abortion rights, stating in an interview in August 2019 that he believes "women do have a right to choose". He is also in favour of legalising voluntary euthanasia; in December 2022, his government repealed the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997, which prevented the territories of Australia from legalising euthanasia.
  
  Albanese is a supporter and advocate for LGBT rights, and has regularly participated in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras since 1983. When Labor Party members were granted a conscience vote on the Marriage Amendment Bill 2012, which would have legalised same-sex marriage in Australia, Albanese voted in favour of the bill, which was unsuccessful. He opposed holding a plebiscite for same-sex marriage, stating that "we shouldn't be having a public vote where we get to judge other families". In 2017, Albanese also voted in favour of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, the bill which ultimately legalised same-sex marriage. Albanese has voiced support of transgender rights, saying that "people coming to terms with their identity and who they are, I think that they need to be respected", although has voted against transgender rights in the past.
  
  Early in his political career, Albanese supported drug decriminalisation, telling Parliament in 1997 that "drug use by individuals is a health issue, not a criminal issue". However, in February 2022, he declined to commit to decriminalisation of hard drugs, commenting that the "current settings are appropriate".
  
  In July 2015, Albanese stated his opposition to the government's policy of turning back asylum seekers who arrive to the country via boat, saying: "I couldn't ask someone else to do something that I couldn't see myself doing... if people were in a boat including families and children, I myself couldn't turn that around." During the 2022 federal election campaign, Albanese clarified that boat turnbacks would be incorporated into his government's policy, leading to some critics accusing him of "flip-flopping" on the issue. In August 2021, after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, Albanese urged the Morrison government to give Afghan refugees permanent residency in Australia.
  
  In May 2024, Albanese voiced his support for raising the age at which a child can open a social media account from 13 to 16, citing concerns over the mental health of young people, with his government passing legislation to compel social media companies to do so. He has referred to social media as a "scourge".