Community organisations partner to tackle discrimination

WORKING IT OUT / TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP / TASMANIAN COUNCIL ON AIDS HEPATITIS AND RELATED DISEASES

Joint Media Statement
Friday May 6th 2011

COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS PARTNER TO TACKLE DISCRIMINATION

Three Tasmanian community organisations have welcomed a State Government grant that will enable them to better tackle discrimination and abuse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Tasmanians.

Working It Out (WIO), the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG) and the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD) have received $30,000 from the State Government for the Be Proud Project which will research discrimination and abuse directed against LGBTI Tasmanians and how that discrimination and abuse can be reduced.

WIO Executive Officer, Susan Ditter, said,

“Until now the experiences of discrimination and prejudice in our communities, and the level of fear of this discrimination, have not been recorded. This project will give lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people of all ages the opportunity to record such incidents in a confidential and safe environment, and it will give the organisations involved the base data they need to better tackle discrimination.”

According to Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, the funding will contribute to a more accepting and safe Tasmania for everyone.

“National surveys indicate that discrimination, prejudice and abuse against LGBTI Tasmanians is worse than the national average, making it crucial that we have robust, reliable data upon which to build effective anti-discrimination programs.”

TasCAHRD Executive Office, Kevin Marriott, also welcomed the funding.

“The importance of the Be Proud Tasmania project is highlighted by having three, longstanding organisations who have worked with LGBTI Tasmanians come together with united purpose. We are very proud to be a part of it!”

The grant comes from a three year fund established to meet the Tasmania Together benchmarks of reducing discrimination, prejudice and hate crime against LGBTI Tasmanians.

The fund was a Green election commitment which was announced in the 2010 State Budget.

WIO also received funds for a public speaking training program for LGBTI young people.

Ms Ditter said,

“When we conduct awareness training for teachers or other service providers we find that the personal and life stories told by young LGBTI people are the most effective way to break down prejudices and stereotypes.”
In 2005 the Australia Institute released a national survey which found Tasmania to be Australia’s most homophobic state. In 2010 a similar survey found Tasmania had moved to second last place just ahead of Queensland.
Susan Ditter, Rodney Croome, Kevin Marriott