// October 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // AVP news, Media discussion, Within Australia, Within Victoria
The Anti-Violence Project of Victoria (AVP) welcomes state premier John Brumby’s announcement of major social policy initiatives supporting GLBTI community as visionary and ground breaking.
AVP head Greg Adkins said “If Mr Brumby is successfully re-elected at the 27 November state election, the $2.5million next-stage of the Labor government’s decade long commitment to celebrating diversity and ending discrimination and violence in our society will deliver:
- The establishment of a whole-of-government advisory committee on GLBTI issues
- Provision of $200,000 over four years to the Anti-Violence Project of Victoria to support victims of homophobia and help GLBTI people to report physical or verbal abuse or harassment
- An investment of $100,000 in a campaign to reduce homophobic harassment and highlight the contribution of GLBTI communities in Victoria
- Strengthening of laws against homophobic harassment
In addition a re-elected Brumby Labor Government would continue its support for same-sex attracted youth by:
- Providing $320,000 over four years to build on a pilot project to help combat homophobia in schools. This project, delivered through Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria, would develop and distribute quality resources to schools, provide professional development to staff to support students and school communities, help develop a whole-of-school approach to combating homophobia, and help develop students’ own networks and further builds on work by the government which is already underway;
- Establishing a $500,000 grants program over four years to help 10 projects a year provide a safe space for same-sex attracted youth, informal mentoring and peer support; and
- Investing $500,000 in a partnership with Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria, Sane and Headspace to train health professionals in helping same-sex attracted youth at risk of suicide
Further to this, the GLBTI community will be asked to step-up and determine what its “voice” would look like and where the provision of a GLBTI community voice will find a home, after the Brumby Government committed a further $100,000 a year for four years for a GLBTI peak body to represent the interests and act on behalf of the community.
The Anti-Violence Project notes that the Premier’s announcement is the first ever of this magnitude by a head of an Australian state or federal government setting-out a plan to deliver state-wide social policy initiatives to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals and communities are (in the Premier’s words) “safe, valued and respected.”
“Brumby’s GLBTI policy initiatives are further evidence that the ground has shifted politically in Victoria. The AVP invite all other political parties to come on-board to support the Labor government’s leadership in seeking to provide more support and a real voice for the GLBTI community.
“The Anti-Violence Project of Victoria congratulates the Victorian Government on the depth and scope its initiatives”, Adkins said.
Read the complete announcement from the Premier: More support and a real voice for the GLBTI community.
