How does assuming heterosexuality as the norm shape sexual violence research and response? This webinar explores how these assumptions influence what we study, how systems respond, and who is able to access support. 

Drawing on new research, this session will examine the experiences of LGBTIQ+ people, highlight gaps in current approaches, and identify practical opportunities to strengthen responses. It will also consider how more inclusive approaches can improve outcomes for everyone. 

As attention to sexual violence grows across policy and service systems, there is an urgent need to ensure responses are inclusive of LGBTIQ+ people and not shaped by assumptions that limit access to support. 

This webinar contributes to LHA’s work to strengthen evidence-informed, inclusive policy and practice, aligned with the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025–2035.

This webinar will be hosted by:

Kai NoonanOAM (they/them), LHA’s Director of Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence. 

Dr Jessica Ison (she/her), Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Director of the Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group at the La Trobe Rural Health School. 

Dr Sophie Hindes (they/them), Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) and co-convenor of the family, domestic and sexual violence research stream.

LHA has launched a refreshed series of quarterly Member Networking Meetings in 2026, designed to facilitate connection, collaboration and shared learning across the LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing sector.  

Following feedback from members, we are taking a slightly different approach to these sessions. Rather than focusing on a single topic, these meetings will provide space for people working across the sector to connect with one another. 

We often hear from member organisations that people can feel quite isolated in their roles, or removed from others doing similar work. These sessions are intended to create a regular opportunity to meet, have conversations, and build relationships across organisations and jurisdictions. 

The session will be lightly structured, with small-group breakout conversations and time to connect with others in a more informal setting. 

You are welcome to come along to share what you are working on, discuss challenges, or simply meet others across the sector. 

These sessions are open to anyone working within LHA’s Full Member, Regular Member, and Affiliate Member organisations, and are delivered online in an interactive format with facilitated small‑group discussions and activities.  

RSVP to receive the link to the Zoom meeting.

Digital spaces are central to how LGBTIQ+ young people access information, connection and support. Since the introduction of under-16 social media restrictions in December 2025, early insights suggest mixed impacts. Some young people are disengaging from help-seeking, while others are moving into less safe, unmoderated spaces. These shifts have important implications for prevention, particularly where access to trusted information and early support is reduced.

The introduction of under-16 social media restrictions in December 2025 has rapidly changed how young people connect and seek support. Early insights suggest unintended consequences, including reduced help-seeking and movement into less safe online environments, alongside growing demand for safer alternatives.

This webinar brings together frontline insights from Twenty10 and Minus18 and explore what these changes mean for wellbeing, prevention and policy responses.

Presentation by

Jain Moralee (She/her)

Chief Executive Officer of Twenty10, a specialist service supporting the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ young people and their families in New South Wales. She has extensive experience in youth services, mental health and community development, and works to strengthen early intervention, crisis support and inclusive service responses for young LGBTIQ+ people

Micah Scott (He/they)

Chief Executive Officer of Minus18, Australia’s leading organisation supporting LGBTIQ+ young people through national programs, digital engagement and education. Their work focuses on building safe spaces, strengthening connection and improving inclusion for LGBTIQ+ young people across schools, communities and online environments.

Digital spaces are central to how LGBTIQ+ young people access information, connection and support. Since the introduction of under-16 social media restrictions in December 2025, early insights suggest mixed impacts. Some young people are disengaging from help-seeking, while others are moving into less safe, unmoderated spaces. These shifts have important implications for prevention, particularly where access to trusted information and early support is reduced.

The introduction of under-16 social media restrictions in December 2025 has rapidly changed how young people connect and seek support. Early insights suggest unintended consequences, including reduced help-seeking and movement into less safe online environments, alongside growing demand for safer alternatives.

This webinar brings together frontline insights from Twenty10 and Minus18 and explore what these changes mean for wellbeing, prevention and policy responses.

Presentation by

Jain Moralee (She/her)

Chief Executive Officer of Twenty10, a specialist service supporting the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ young people and their families in New South Wales. She has extensive experience in youth services, mental health and community development, and works to strengthen early intervention, crisis support and inclusive service responses for young LGBTIQ+ people

Micah Scott (He/they)

Chief Executive Officer of Minus18, Australia’s leading organisation supporting LGBTIQ+ young people through national programs, digital engagement and education. Their work focuses on building safe spaces, strengthening connection and improving inclusion for LGBTIQ+ young people across schools, communities and online environments.

Members, including staff, volunteers and delegates of LHA Full, Regular, Affiliate and Associate member organisations can attend free as part of their supporter benefits.
Please RSVP free here.

Work participation is a critical social determinant of health. This webinar examines new national evidence on employment disparities affecting LGBTIQ+ Australians and the implications for policy and system reform. This webinar will present new national evidence on work participation among LGBTIQ+ Australians using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The session will examine disparities in employment, labour force participation, job type and working conditions, and consider what these patterns reveal about structural barriers and discrimination, and the implications for health equity. 

Work is a key social determinant of health, influencing financial security, access to leave, social connection and long-term wellbeing. This research provides important insights for policymakers, employers and health and social service organisations seeking to address structural inequities affecting LGBTIQ+ populations. 

Despite strong policy attention to workplace inclusion, nationally representative evidence on employment outcomes for LGBTIQ+ Australians has been limited. This study identifies measurable disparities, including higher unemployment among gay, lesbian and bisexual people, greater labour force non-participation and employment instability among bisexual people, fewer working hours among trans and gender-diverse people, and evidence of transitions out of employment and increased use of sick leave among some groups. Together, these findings suggest the presence of systemic barriers beyond individual qualifications, likely reflecting discrimination, workplace exclusion and the cumulative impacts of minority stress. 

Presentation by

Dr Dee Tomic (She/Her)

Dr Dee Tomic (she/her) is a Research Fellow at the Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health and a medically trained epidemiologist. Her research focuses on work, health and equity among LGBTIQ+ Australians. She is currently leading the Pride at Work Study, a national mixed-methods project funded by Pride Foundation Australia, examining LGBTIQ+ workers’ mental health and their views on priorities for building inclusive workplaces. Her work informs government policy and workplace practice to improve health and economic outcomes. 

Work participation is a critical social determinant of health. This webinar examines new national evidence on employment disparities affecting LGBTIQ+ Australians and the implications for policy and system reform. This webinar will present new national evidence on work participation among LGBTIQ+ Australians using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The session will examine disparities in employment, labour force participation, job type and working conditions, and consider what these patterns reveal about structural barriers and discrimination, and the implications for health equity. 

Work is a key social determinant of health, influencing financial security, access to leave, social connection and long-term wellbeing. This research provides important insights for policymakers, employers and health and social service organisations seeking to address structural inequities affecting LGBTIQ+ populations. 

Despite strong policy attention to workplace inclusion, nationally representative evidence on employment outcomes for LGBTIQ+ Australians has been limited. This study identifies measurable disparities, including higher unemployment among gay, lesbian and bisexual people, greater labour force non-participation and employment instability among bisexual people, fewer working hours among trans and gender-diverse people, and evidence of transitions out of employment and increased use of sick leave among some groups. Together, these findings suggest the presence of systemic barriers beyond individual qualifications, likely reflecting discrimination, workplace exclusion and the cumulative impacts of minority stress. 

Presentation by

Dr Dee Tomic (She/Her)

Dr Dee Tomic (she/her) is a Research Fellow at the Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health and a medically trained epidemiologist. Her research focuses on work, health and equity among LGBTIQ+ Australians. She is currently leading the Pride at Work Study, a national mixed-methods project funded by Pride Foundation Australia, examining LGBTIQ+ workers’ mental health and their views on priorities for building inclusive workplaces. Her work informs government policy and workplace practice to improve health and economic outcomes. 

Members, including staff, volunteers and delegates of LHA Full, Regular, Affiliate and Associate member organisations can attend free as part of their supporter benefits.
Please RSVP free here.

LGBTQ+ populations continue to experience significant disparities in mental health and wellbeing outcomes, alongside higher rates of alcohol and other drug use and barriers to accessing appropriate care.

LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations play a critical role in responding to these disparities through approaches that are peer-led and grounded in lived experience. However, there remains limited national understanding of what makes these organisations unique and how they operate in shared ways.

This webinar will explore the Optimise+ project and its work mapping LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations delivering mental health and AOD services across Australia. The session will examine what this work reveals about the current service landscape and how improved visibility of the sector can support stronger policy, planning, funding and service integration.

This webinar will also feature the official launch of new community resources designed to strengthen understanding of LGBTQ+ community-controlled mental health and AOD services across Australia.

Presentation by

Dr Jack Farrugia (He/Him)

Researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia whose work focuses on regional youth mental health, LGBTIQA+ health and wellbeing, and inclusive service delivery. His recent work includes Optimise+, mapping LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations delivering mental health and AOD services.

LGBTQ+ populations continue to experience significant disparities in mental health and wellbeing outcomes, alongside higher rates of alcohol and other drug use and barriers to accessing appropriate care.

LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations play a critical role in responding to these disparities through approaches that are peer-led and grounded in lived experience. However, there remains limited national understanding of what makes these organisations unique and how they operate in shared ways.

This webinar will explore the Optimise+ project and its work mapping LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations delivering mental health and AOD services across Australia. The session will examine what this work reveals about the current service landscape and how improved visibility of the sector can support stronger policy, planning, funding and service integration.

This webinar will also feature the official launch of new community resources designed to strengthen understanding of LGBTQ+ community-controlled mental health and AOD services across Australia.

Presentation by

Dr Jack Farrugia (He/Him)

Researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia whose work focuses on regional youth mental health, LGBTIQA+ health and wellbeing, and inclusive service delivery. His recent work includes Optimise+, mapping LGBTQ+ community-controlled organisations delivering mental health and AOD services.

Members, including staff, volunteers and delegates of LHA Full, Regular, Affiliate and Associate member organisations can attend free as part of their supporter benefits.
Please RSVP free here.