Archive for September, 2015

NSW LGBTI domestic & family violence funding focuses attention on VIC govt response to its Royal Commission findings, due later 2015

// September 24th, 2015 // No Comments » // Media discussion, Relationship violence, Relationships, Within Australia, Within Victoria

Victoria’s Anti-Violence Project heralded NSW’s announcement of funding for LGBTI domestic and family violence as a defining moment for Australian state and federal governments which brings measures to address LGBTI family and relationship violence equally to the table alongside funding and programs to support the elimination of domestic and family violence in the broader Australian community.

“Victoria has no single lead LGBTI organisation working in the health or family violence space, unlike ACON’s principal role as the dominant funded non-profit in NSW”, said AVP executive director Greg Adkins. “However Victoria does have organisations, working for LGBTI community to support people and address family violence, who are either poorly resourced, or in the case of LGBTI community-led organisations, not resourced at all”, he said.

“This NSW funding decision now focuses attention towards recommendations on the Victoria Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV) which are expected later in 2015 and the policy response by the Andrews Labor government. These RCFV recommendations will frame society’s urgent family violence problem with clear evidence of whats working and whats not, where the gaps are and will point to a much needed targeted response by the Victoria state government to lift LGBTI organisations out of their unfunded or poorly funded existences to better and more efficiently support individuals from LGBTI community experiencing this type of violence in their lives.”

In announcing the NSW funding, Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pru Goward in the NSW Baird government said the funds will support ACON campaigns, programs and services that will help identify and prevent DFV among LGBTI people.

AVP executive director Greg Adkins said “We look forward, to a similar outcome in Victoria to the NSW funding so that LGBTI focused campaigns, programs and services in Victoria are enabled to respond to LGBTI family violence in a way where 100% of people experiencing it have the avenues to address its impact on their lives and perpetrators of LGBTI family and relationship violence can be identified and supported to deal with their behavior before lives are lost and people are damaged.”

Read the NSW funding announcement reported here in Gay News Network, Wednesday September 9, 2015

When marriage is done and dusted, what’s next for health well-being and human rights? Your views?

// September 23rd, 2015 // No Comments » // Relationships, Within Australia, Within Victoria

Earlier this evening the Minister for Equality, the Hon. Martin Foley MP hosted a visionary forum with a brilliant panel looking beyond marriage equality towards the challenges to be faced and next steps that must taken on the path to LGBTI equality.

What are the next milestones for LGBTIQ rights and the same-sex attracted and sex and gender diverse community who still experience vast inequalities across many indicators of health, well-being and human rights. In our opinion prejudice motivated violence, homophobic harassment and vilification based on sexuality and gender stack up as pretty important issues.

What do you think? The AVP is interested to read your thoughts. Feel free to comment on this post and we’ll share your discussion with Martin Foley, Rainbow Labor (organisers of the forum) and the panelists who shared their wisdom on the night.

Speakers included

Anna Brown
Director of Advocacy & Strategic Litigation, Human Rights Law Centre

Sally Goldner
Executive Director, Transgender Victoria and Treasurer, Bi Alliance Victoria

Associate Professor Ruth McNair
Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health Specialist, University of Melbourne

Tim ChristodouLou
Partnerships Manager, Minus18 and Assistance Secretary of the ALP’s LGBTI Policy Committee

Colin Batrouney
Manager, Policy, Communications and Health Promotion at the Victorian AIDS Council

Time to step up and talk about violence! Old laws expunged & old convictions can be removed.

// September 21st, 2015 // No Comments » // AVP news, International, Media discussion, Within Victoria

Expungement of old offences is GO!

Great to see this process underway.

It can also be used in relation to criminal records for trans and gender diverse people convicted of cross-dressing related “crimes” under those old laws.

Check out this link:
Department of Justice Criminal Law Expungement Scheme

After facing the law for an offence for which you can no longer be charged or convicted, you may have experienced prejudice motivated or other violence and not felt able to talk with police about. Nows the time to throw off the shadow of this expired law conviction and step up and talk about your experiences.

Visit the AVP’s Violence Reporting Service, or email vicavp@antiviolence.info and make contact and we’re more than happy to assist you!