Former Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination for seven years from 2010, Robin Banks said the groups believed Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Act was "the best in Australia".

""Discrimination is a shared responsibility and should be regulated in a collaborative way and these proposed federal laws are resiling from that," Ms Banks said.

"I'm absolutely surprised that Tasmania is not arguing against the over-riding of our powers."

In a statement the 12 organisations say they reject "Canberra's attempt to roll back the legal rights of Tasmanians".

They say Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Act had led to a more inclusive Tasmania.

"It has strong protections for people of faith," they said.

"It also has strong protections for people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people, women, single parents and unmarried partners, Tasmanian Aborigines and other Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, and racial minorities.

"Our strong discrimination law has had concrete outcomes: more inclusive schools, more productive workplaces, and more respectful public debate.

"This is why we reject federal interference to water down our Anti-Discrimination Act by allowing humiliating and intimidating language in the name of religion."

The prominent groups say Tasmania should be able to make its own human rights laws.

"We value those laws that have made Tasmania a better place," they said.

"We call for human rights protections for everyone, not special rights for some."

Ms Banks said the Tasmanian Parliament had protected people's rights and the federal laws were an "unnecessary over-reach".

The 12 organisations are:

Association for Children with Disability (Tas)

Community Legal Centres Tasmania

Disability Voices Tasmania

Engender Equality

Equality Tasmania

Speak Out Association of Tasmania

Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby

Transforming Tasmania

Unions Tasmania

Women's Health Tasmania

Working It Out

TasCOSS