Victorian Organisations Pledge To End Inequities, Sign Embracing Equality Charter
Eight Victorian organisations have signed the Embracing Equality Charter pledging to “end the discrimination and inequities” experienced by LGBTQI+ communities.聽
The organisations include Centre for聽 Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People鈥檚聽 Alliance, Mental Health Victoria, Youth Affairs Council Victoria, Victorian Healthcare聽 Association, Council to Homeless Persons, Victorian Alcohol & Drug Association, and Victorian聽 Trades Hall Council.聽聽
Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria welcomed the signing of the charter聽 as “a heartening development”.聽
鈥淎s a LGBTIQ community-controlled organisation, we are committed toward working toward聽 a healthy future for our sex, sexuality, and gender diverse communities. We thank these聽 organisations for taking up our cause. If we鈥檙e going to see an improvement in the health and wellbeing of our communities, it鈥檚 going to require commitments from peak organisations,鈥� said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.聽
According to Ruth, LGBTQI+ organisations like THH cannot achieve their vision on their own “without the broader health service system getting on聽 board.鈥澛�
Switchboard CEO Joe Ball echoed the sentiments. “This work must be led by聽 us as both LGBTIQ+ people and as LGBTIQ+ organisations, but we know that we cannot do it聽 alone,鈥� said.聽
鈥淪witchboard also welcomes the Charter鈥檚 ongoing reference to the role and centrality of聽 community-controlled organisations. LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations ensure that聽 our health is in our hands and that nothing is done about us without us.鈥澛�
鈥淥ur collective work in addressing the discrimination and inequities experienced by LGBTIQ+聽 people is not over. We鈥檝e seen some great steps forward, but both research and experience聽 show us that there is still so much work to be done. We hope this is just the beginning and the聽 Embracing Equality Charter provides some much needed momentum to improving the health聽 and wellbeing of our LGBTIQ+ communities,” added Ball.
