Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) is one of the oldest continuously operating LGBTQI+ organisations in Australia. SGLMG was built on the foundations laid by early community activists who fought for LGBTQI+ rights in a time of wide-spread, institutionalised oppression and discrimination. From these origins, SGLMG has evolved to include a strong focus on celebration while maintaining a commitment to social justice for LGBTQI+ communities.

• Festival runs from 19 Feb - 7 March 2021
• Fair Day: Sunday 21 Feb 
• Parade Day: Saturday 6 March

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The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has resulted in one of the biggest wholesale reviews of aged care service delivery across Australia. The report and its recommendations have the capacity to transform the sector and determine how aged care services will be organised and delivered for a generation to come.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia made submissions to the Royal Commission. A key focus of these submissions centred on diversity and inclusion of aged care services. Now is the time for significant reform of the sector that will afford all people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics with aged care services that are respectful and culturally appropriate.

This webinar will bring together key stakeholders from across the ageing sector to understand how the recent findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission will impact – both positively and negatively – on LGBTIQ+ people as we grow older and access aged care services.

Panellists

Craig Gear – CEO of the Older Persons Advocacy Network
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is overseen by a CEO responsible for coordinating the integration of the National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP) across nine states and territory service delivery organisations. The OPAN CEO is Craig Gear who was appointed in August 2018.

Craig has extensive experience in health service management and health consulting and was previously the chair of the management board for Senior Rights Service NSW. He is also the director of a health consulting firm focusing on primary care NGOs, ageing, mental health, eHealth and Aboriginal health. Flowing from his background in nursing, he is passionate about connecting and improving the health system for all Australians and also has positions on a number of Non-Government Organisations Boards.

Corey Irlam – Deputy Chief Executive Council Of The Ageing
Corey Irlam is the Deputy Chief Executive for COTA Australia with responsibilities for Government Relations, Special Projects, Advocacy and Communications. While Corey is primarily based in COTA Australia’s Melbourne office he is seen frequently in our Canberra office.

Corey has been with COTA since April 2013 working in the National Aged Care Alliance’s Aged Care Reform Secretariat first as Principal Policy Officer and later as the Aged Care Reform Policy Manager, later working in broader COTA policy areas as Director, Advocacy and Government Relations. As part of these role Corey has led the development of a number of policy positions for COTA Australia and the Alliance including the development of the ‘Integrated Consumer Supports’ position and improving access to assistive technologies for older Australians.

Corey has a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Business Administration. He has worked for a range of state and national organisations focused on improving the health and human rights of various populations. Before working in the community sector Corey worked in the corporate sector in various marketing roles including Direct Communications, Digital Marketing, Marketing Operations and Event Management.

Samantha Edmonds – OPAN
Ms. Samantha Edmonds is one of Australia’s leading LGBTI inclusive strategists, policy makers and influencers with extensive knowledge and experience in assisting ageing, aged care and health providers develop LGBTI inclusive services. She is passionate about social justice, human rights and ending ageism. Sam is Chair of the Aged Care Sector Committee (ASCS) Diversity Subgroup and a member of the ACSC, which provides advice to the Australian Government on aged care policy development and implementation and helps to guide the reform of the aged care system.

Sam is the Managing Director of Ageing with Pride, her own consultancy that specialises in developing, delivering and evaluating projects, programs and services that are respectful, person-centred, culturally safe and inclusive of LGBTI elders and older people. She also currently works as the Manager, Policy and Systemic Advocacy at the Older Person’s Advocacy Network (OPAN). OPAN supports older people and their families and representatives to effectively access and interact with Commonwealth funded aged care services and have their rights protected.

Patricia Sparrow – CEO Aged and Community Services Australia
Pat Sparrow is a social policy leader and innovator with expertise in stakeholder engagement and management. She has specific and detailed expertise in ageing policy and aged care, having worked as, and with, a diverse range of stakeholders including consumers, service providers, workforce, health professionals, corporate organisations and Government. This unique ‘360 degree’ perspective ensures that Pat’s leadership approach is strategic and nuanced, inclusive and collaborative. No one is better placed to represent ACSA and its members as once-in-a-generation reforms of aged care take place.

(Moderator) Russell Westacott - Program Delivery and Capacity Building Manager
Russell joined LGBTIQ+ Health Australia in November 2020. His role is Program Delivery and Capacity Building Manager. Russell has 35-years experience at working for community-based responses targeting vulnerable and marginalized communities. Over the years he has worked in HIV prevention and health promotion programs and LGBTI human rights advocacy and campaigning. In recent years Russell has played an important role in collaboration with other stakeholders in the formation of two national peak bodies. These are the Older Persons Advocacy Network supporting people in aged care and Elder Abuse Action Australia that works with government to ensure there are adequate community responses to elder abuse across the Australian community. Russell is co-chair of EAAA.

James Zanotto - Policy and Research Manager
James joined LGBTIQ+ Health Australia in July 2020. He brings over 30 years’ experience in local, state and national positions. His roles have included research, policy development, campaigning, volunteer coordination, grant management and team leadership. He has provided strategic planning, group facilitation, community engagement and stakeholder management in the public and community sectors.
He is passionate about grass-roots, evidence-based policy and advocacy that achieves practical change for disadvantaged and marginalised Australians.

Key issues

• Diversity and inclusion in aged care
• Impact of findings on LGBTIQ+ people
• Moving forward, how do these recommendations help/not help LGBTIQ+ people.

Key questions

• Do LGBTI people gain anything from the recommendations in the Royal Commission?
• What hasn’t been included in the final report that should have been?
• Were there any surprises – or unexpected gains – in the final recommendations?
• What issues should the LGBTI community continue to lobby for despite the findings that have been delivered?

Key resources/programmes

• Royal Commission into Aged Care gov info https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/final-report
• LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Ageing and Aged care https://www.lgbtiqhealth.org.au/silver_rainbow

In 2021 those two premier conferences will be hosted online over 3 consecutive Fridays in April. Moving these important conferences online comes with new challenges, but it will enable us to use advanced conference software to provide both live events and on-demand content, networking, chat, breakout workshops, and a series of online social events every Friday afternoon to allow participants to network and reflect.

Fri 16 April | Fri 23 April |  Fri 30 April

Health in Difference is Australia’s premier conference on the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people and communities throughout Australia.

The LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care conference is the leading event in Australia for aged, health and human service providers to develop their knowledge, skills and practice to meet the needs of LGBTI consumers.

Those conferences bring together community members, community organisations large and small, health practitioners, researchers, academics, policymakers, advocates, and others who are interested in improving the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of LGBTI people.

Conference hashtags will be: #HiD2021 and #LGBTIAgeing2021

Abstracts and rego

Abstract deadline Sunday 21 February 2021 at 11:59 pm AEDT.

We warmly invite you to save the dates in April and to subscribe here for ticketing information.

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