[Report is compiled from multiple public addresses, multiple sources made over multiple publication dates and post-event reflection]
Guest presenters included:
• Victoria’s first commissioner for gender and sexuality Ro Allen;
• CEO of SBS Michael Ebeid;
• Author and journalist Benjamin Law;
• General Manager of NDIS Stephanie Gunn;
• and writer and editor Roj Amedi
Migrant groups often come with no or limited English, or English As Another Language (EAAL). Education may have been interrupted due to civil unrest or war, limited based on gender or denied based on societal standing of ethnic/ race/ability. Those on the outer often suffer from invisibility, face barriers to access and have unique needs disregarded by systems awaiting updating for modern times. Requests were discussed elsewhere in the Conference about the lack of literature regarding sex, gender, sexuality and respectful relationships in languages other than English.
Navigating housing, health care and other systems life-giving or sustaining proves an ongoing challenge for EAAL cohort.
A Conference bringing together such disparate and segmented communities leaves many impressions, and will continue to unfold for participants.
Reported by ABS General Social Survey in 2014, in Australia, 33.7% of lesbian and gay, and 20.8% of bisexual people report having experienced homelessness, compared to 13.4% of heterosexuals.
For here and now, there are many opportunities to improve offerings to Victoria’s diverse multi-cultural and multi-lingual constituents by:
• acknowledging existence of compound intersectionality between race, ethnicity, religion and LGBTIQA+ identities.
• overcome an often EAAL-script that sexual diversity is a ‘Western disease’ or ‘white colonial deviance’
• Overcome an inherent institutional blindness - “whiteness” in attitude/service/provision to those from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background
• providing tools to allow Sangha and families to navigate difficult
conversations about diverse sexuality, relationship circumstances and personal expression in birth-language.
At the end of the Conference, participants assembled to develop and document strategies and key points to present to Government and relevant policy makers.
On behalf of BCV’s Buddhist Religious Instruction (bENGAGED) and Glen Eira Interfaith Network (GEIFN), thankyou to Hosts, Organisers, Volunteers and Participants working to share, build collaborations, celebrate diversity and foster team approach to addressing today's society. Received with gratitude.
Other resources:
• State Government’s Victoria’s Values Statement
• Victorian. And Proud of it.
• Minus18: Australia’s youth driven organisation for LGBTIQ youth
• Thorne Harbour Health: improving health and wellbeing of LGBTI communities, including those with HIV, AIDS
MORE:
Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC)
President and Conference Chair Dr Judy Tang
Email: judy.tang@agmc.org.au
Website: www.agmc.org.au
Disclosure: Badge reads “For Equity: YES, I am”.
Unseen in picture is bDIVERSITY postcard below:
A rare opportunity to understand, interact and discuss all things multicultural, Multifaith and LGBTIQA+. Celebrating diversity within diversity - a show of solidarity between communities of all cultures, faiths, abilities, genders, and sexualities.
People of all ages, abilities and diversities, allies and friends assembled over an ambitious program of 3 days. Exploring topics and themes including Multicultural and LGBTQIA+, migrant and refugees, health initiatives and research, families and youth, representation in the media, disability support and much more.Guest presenters included:
• Victoria’s first commissioner for gender and sexuality Ro Allen;
• CEO of SBS Michael Ebeid;
• Author and journalist Benjamin Law;
• General Manager of NDIS Stephanie Gunn;
• and writer and editor Roj Amedi
Migrant groups often come with no or limited English, or English As Another Language (EAAL). Education may have been interrupted due to civil unrest or war, limited based on gender or denied based on societal standing of ethnic/ race/ability. Those on the outer often suffer from invisibility, face barriers to access and have unique needs disregarded by systems awaiting updating for modern times. Requests were discussed elsewhere in the Conference about the lack of literature regarding sex, gender, sexuality and respectful relationships in languages other than English.
Navigating housing, health care and other systems life-giving or sustaining proves an ongoing challenge for EAAL cohort.
A Conference bringing together such disparate and segmented communities leaves many impressions, and will continue to unfold for participants.
Reported by ABS General Social Survey in 2014, in Australia, 33.7% of lesbian and gay, and 20.8% of bisexual people report having experienced homelessness, compared to 13.4% of heterosexuals.
For here and now, there are many opportunities to improve offerings to Victoria’s diverse multi-cultural and multi-lingual constituents by:
• acknowledging existence of compound intersectionality between race, ethnicity, religion and LGBTIQA+ identities.
• overcome an often EAAL-script that sexual diversity is a ‘Western disease’ or ‘white colonial deviance’
• Overcome an inherent institutional blindness - “whiteness” in attitude/service/provision to those from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background
• providing tools to allow Sangha and families to navigate difficult
conversations about diverse sexuality, relationship circumstances and personal expression in birth-language.
At the end of the Conference, participants assembled to develop and document strategies and key points to present to Government and relevant policy makers.
On behalf of BCV’s Buddhist Religious Instruction (bENGAGED) and Glen Eira Interfaith Network (GEIFN), thankyou to Hosts, Organisers, Volunteers and Participants working to share, build collaborations, celebrate diversity and foster team approach to addressing today's society. Received with gratitude.
Other resources:
• State Government’s Victoria’s Values Statement
• Victorian. And Proud of it.
• Minus18: Australia’s youth driven organisation for LGBTIQ youth
• Thorne Harbour Health: improving health and wellbeing of LGBTI communities, including those with HIV, AIDS
MORE:
Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC)
President and Conference Chair Dr Judy Tang
Email: judy.tang@agmc.org.au
Website: www.agmc.org.au
Unseen in picture is bDIVERSITY postcard below:
