Forum for Community Workers, Teachers & General Public

“Outside the square: Including SSAITGD young people” (Forum)

REGISTER @ https://www.eventbrite.com.au/event/6419040523

A forum to bring together everyone who connects with young people; service providers, teachers, welfare workers, healthcare professionals, admin. staff, retail & hospitality team members, parents, bus drivers, receptionists, bank tellers, YOU!

COST: FREE (includes morning/lunch/afternoon tea)

“Outside the Square: Including SSAITGD young people” is being hosted by UnitingCare Cutting Edge’s Diversity Project as part of the OUTintheOPEN Festival. The forum will provide learning & professional development opportunities with a particular focus on “inclusive practice”; how best to cater to the needs of those who are SSAITGD (same sex attracted, intersex, trans* and/or gender diverse).

SSAITGD young people in rural areas have different needs to those in metropolitan areas facing higher levels of discrimination from homophobic attitudes, isolation, limited clinical health services and limited support systems. SSAITGD young people live, work and play in all parts ofour community and can sometimes remain ‘invisible’ if the services/places they seek support/hang out are not committed to “inclusive practice”. SSAITGD young people may not identify themselves as such – or use a label at all – so ensuring we’re providing “inclusive” spaces where everyone feels welcome is the key. “But how do I do that?”

Labels (and all letters of the alphabet) aside, all young people deserve (and have the right) to be treated fairly, equally – and live ‘label-free’, if they so choose. We don’t need to put people in a ‘straight’ or ‘SSAITGD’ check-box to engage with them, but it certainly helps if we’re always thinking outside the square, “What can I do differently each day to ensure ALL young people feel welcome, valued & respected?”

Researchers, workers and young people involved in the youth sector will present information and inclusive practice strategies (for people living/working in country Victoria) in areas including mental health and wellbeing, sexual health, educational settings, the law/equal opportunity & more.

Full programme available here…

Scholarship, accommodation and registration form/information available here.

Keynote speakers

Tarnia Thompson is the capacity development manager working on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex (LGBTI) health alliance’s QLife project.  Qlife is a national teleweb project which brings together five existing gay and lesbian telephone counselling services across the country to deliver a new and improved telephone and web based counselling project which strives to meet the needs of the diverse members of the LGBTI communities.  Tarnia has had a long history working both in (LGBTI) health and the drug and alcohol sector.  During her four years on ACON’s Drug and alcohol team Tarnia worked on a number of drug and alcohol harm reduction campaigns and initiatives. These included the challenging ‘Don’t share a bloody thing’ campaign targeting injecting between intimate partners and the innovative online harm reduction game ‘Party safely with the Big Heads’ designed for same sex attracted young people.

Tarnia’s presentation will be titled, “Changing faces of LGBTI healthcare in Australia” (download PDF of presentation)

Daniel Witthaus is a challenging homophobia educator, author and education activist, born and raised in the Bronx of Geelong. Gay rights advocate, Daniel, is an extraordinary man with an extraordinary mission to eliminate homophobia in Australia. This passionate Victorian embarked on an incredible 38 week journey in 2010, all around rural Australia, taking his anti-homophobia training, called Beyond That’s So Gay’, to schools, organizations and individuals. (www.thatssogay.com.au)

Daniel’s presentation will be titled, “Outside The Bubble: How Rural Australia Can Find Its LGBTI Niche” (download PDF of presentation)

Presenters

David Lee – Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (download PDF of presentation)
“The Pill & The Prick: current issues in STI control in gay communities”

Damien Stevens – UnitingCare Cutting Edge, Diversity Project, Community Development Worker & Vicki Huggard – UnitingCare Cutting Edge, Team Leader Youth, Justice & Advocacy Unit (download PDF of presentation)
“The Diversity Project [Greater Shepparton] – a local perspective”

Lachlan Slade & Wayout Rural Youth Council Representatives, Cobaw Comm. Health (download PDF of presentation)
“Best Practice for Working with SSAIGD Young People”

Mikey Welsh – Senior Law Educator, Victoria Police Academy (download PDF of presentation)
“GLLO, community safety & LGBTI-motivated crime plus ‘A Day In The Life Of A Bobby’”

Kaz Gurney, Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre, Discrimination and the Law (download PDF of presentation)
“Recent developments in the law plus “Who am I? Labels and expectations””

Flo Ramanauskas – Engage! Zaque Project officer, City of Ballarat Youth Services
“Zaque Edutainment (Ballarat) present Empowering the Bullied”

Panel discussion – Local young people share their experiences growing up “in the sticks” Help workshop/find appropriate responses/local resources available/support options.