Who We Are
LGBTIQ Intersect has been developed by Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) in collaboration with GLHV@ARCSHS, La Trobe University (GLHV). Both organisations work within a human rights framework and share a commitment to social justice and the ongoing development of inclusive practices and service systems.
In 2017 GLHV and VTMH formed a partnership with the support of a two year Community Harmony Grant funded as OUT in the CALD, from the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion.
The collaboration between VTMH and GLHV sought to facilitate broad community discussions to develop resources to support the health and wellbeing of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) in multicultural and multifaith communities.
Established over 25 years ago as the Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit (VTPU), VTMH has evolved from a small clinical service to a state-wide provider of organisational development, community engagement, workforce education and support; including the coordination of the state-wide Cultural Portfolio Holders Network and research and evaluation.
VTMH works in partnership with specialist mental health services and community organisations to assist in the development and implementation of culturally safe, responsive and inclusive service systems through a human rights lens. VTMH is actively involved in developing and delivering training resources that: address the intersection of ethnicity, gender, faith, and identity; are narrative driven; and provide a framework in which to address personal, professional and organisational ethics.
Established in 2003, GLHV is an independent, government-funded LGBTI health and wellbeing training, policy and resource unit, located within the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society at La Trobe University. GLHV is a state-wide initiative tasked with improving the quality of care provided to LGBTI Victorians. GLHV has extensive experience in developing and delivering LGBTI training and information packages and resources to organisations across different sectors, including the multicultural, migrant and refugee sectors and to faith-based service delivery organizations.
Some examples of their work include:
> LGBTI-inclusive practice audit tool for health and human service organisations
Throughout this collaboration, we have sought the advice and guidance from people, communities, and organisations committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people from all communities.
This project would not have been possible without the stories and the experiences shared with us by individuals, by communities, by families, by faith leaders and community elders and by organisations and services, each seeking to share a particular experience or point of view.
We would like to acknowledge all of the people who have been on this journey with us and who have contributed to the richness and depth of insight within this resource.
We are grateful for your visibility, for your voices, for your advocacy and leadership and for your guidance in developing this resource.
There is no such thing as a single issue struggle because we do not live single issue lives.
THE COMMUNITY HARMONY PROGRAM
The Community Harmony Program is designed to enable Victorians to build social cohesion and community harmony through preventative initiatives that address the root causes of social disharmony and racial, ethnic and religious intolerance.
The program aims to support all Victorians in developing a strong sense of belonging, whatever their religion, ethnicity, skin colour, or cultural identity. Creating opportunities for Victorians to build relationships with one another leading to increased understanding and respect for our common values and interests.
The program aims to achieve the following:
- Increase intercultural, inter-community and interreligious interaction, engagement and understanding,
- Support diverse groups, such as different cultural, religious and social groups, to develop relationships with one another and deliver initiatives that promote social cohesion and harmony,
- Support and work with communities to build their capacity and leadership to respond to emerging challenges to social cohesion, and
- Build the recognition that shared values and the foundations of common humanity transcend cultural and religious differences.
BACKGROUND
The VTMH and GLHV collaboration sought to build on from earlier research completed by GLHV seeking to both understand and to better meet the support needs of same sex attracted, sex and gender diverse (SSASGD) young people, who were recently arrived, refugees or asylum seekers.
PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP
We would like to thank the organisations and individuals who participated in the Project Advisory Group. Their ongoing commitment to the overall project has supported us to centre our work in the voices and experiences of diverse communities.
We thank them for their generous collaboration, for the depth of their reflections, for their robust reviews and for their ability to hold multiple viewpoints in the same moment.
The project advisory group included participants from multicultural, faith based, mental health and wellbeing, government, community, education and research and LGBTIQ oriented services that have a commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
Organisations who have contributed to the advisory group include:
– ASRC
– Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council Inc
– Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights
– Centre for Ethnicity and Health (CEH)
– Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)
– Department of Health and Human Services, Diversity Unit, Intersex Portfolio
– In-Touch – Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
– Mind Equality Centre
– Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
– Muslims for Progressive Values
– Neami National and Neami Abbotsford
– North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network
– Queerspace, Drummond Street
– School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University
– Spiritual Health Victoria
– Transgender Victoria
– Thorne Harbour Health
– Victoria Police, GLLO Unit
Key Moments in Time
