Please find the 12th Health in Difference Communique below.
DOWNLOAD THE HEALTH IN DIFFERENCE CONFERENCE COMMUNIQUE
Launched at this conference, Rainbow Realities: In-depth analyses of large-scale LGBTQA+ health and wellbeing data in Australia contributes significantly to our understanding of action needed with new in-depth analyses of large-scale data collections. This conference notes:
Theme 1: Mental health and suicidality—alarming rates of psychological distress, suicidality and self-harm among LGBTIQ+ populations.
Theme 2: Income inequality, housing and experiences of homelessness— marginalisation and disadvantage profoundly affects health and wellbeing.
Theme 3: Discrimination and abuse—significant impact of sexual and gender identity discrimination on mental health and wellbeing.
Theme 4: Family violence and sexual assault—appropriate and emotionally safe professional services needed for LGBTQA+ victim-survivors.
Theme 5: Alcohol and other drugs—high prevalence of use, significant disadvantage or marginality, resulting in tangible health disparities.
Theme 6: Relationships, parenting and sexual and reproductive health— disparities in sexual and reproductive health directly linked to stigma.
Theme 7: Gender affirmation and trans affirming practices—access to gender-affirming medical care profoundly impacts quality of life.
Theme 8: General healthcare—healthcare provider discrimination significantly impacts on help-seeking and access to health care.
Theme 9: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—face greater mental health disparities due to increased discrimination and exclusion.
Theme 10: Intersectional identities—diverse challenges and unique needs are faced by individuals with multiple intersectional identities.
—https://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/work/rainbow-realities
This conference acknowledges:
LGBTIQ+ people demonstrate fortitude in looking after themselves, their families, and communities, despite persistent experiences of stigma and discrimination.
LGBTIQ+ people continue to be subject to hostile media reporting, public scrutiny, and prolonged national debates, which exacerbates already poorer health outcomes.
There is an ongoing paucity of health data and research across all LGBTIQ+ populations, with particular gaps identified in relation to ethical and co-designed research for people born with innate variations of sex characteristics, trans and gender diverse gender affirmative care, and effective responses to domestic, family and sexual violence.
Lack of data on intersex health cannot justify inattention to human rights and ethical issues affecting the treatment and inclusion of people with innate variations of sex characteristics, including those in medical settings.
Recognising diversity is fundamental to addressing unique needs, within lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people, as well as respecting the range of multiple intersecting identities and experiences.
The 10-year National Action Plan for the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people being developed by the Australian government provides a critical foundation for improved policies, interventions and approaches.
Delivering the 10-year Action Plan, sustainably and in collaboration with LGBTIQA+ people is essential to achieving improved equitable health and wellbeing outcomes.
This conference therefore calls for:
Targeted support, where it’s most needed
Expand mental health and suicide prevention initiatives for LGBTIQ+ people, including fostering protective factors that promote a sense of belonging, and support services that reduce stigma and marginalisation that triggers much of the poor mental health experienced by LGBTIQ+ people and communities.
Keep First Nations Peoples front and centre by ensuring that their voices are embedded at all levels of research, policy and program development, and are a genuine catalyst for change.
Support the needs of Trans and Gender Diverse People with action in all areas of gender affirmation—social, emotional, medical and legal—with particular focus on the needs of children and young people.
Support Intersex health and rights with investment in comprehensive and specific services, research and initiatives to respond to unique challenges faced by people with innate variations of sex characteristics, including nationally consistent law reform to protect their rights in medical settings.
Ensure healthcare for people of diverse sexual orientations is safe and accessible, across the full spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and asexual populations.
Deliver domestic, family and sexual violence programs collaboratively so that silos are overcome, barriers are reduced and the needs of LGBTIQ+ people are met regardless of gender or location.
Funding for LGBTIQ+ drug and alcohol services, with a national alcohol and other drug use awareness and education campaign.
Expanded support for LGBTIQ+ people with disability, especially mental health and homelessness services equipped and trained to provide inclusive care.
Action on the fundamentals
Enhance data collection and research, with investment in implementing the ABS 2020 Standard and counting LGBTIQ+ populations in the 2026 Census, to improve data collection and research that specifically focus on the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ populations and deliver better insight into the unique challenges.
Strengthen LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations with sustainable and ongoing funding, especially intersex-led and gender diverse-led organisations, so they can meet the needs of specific groups and deliver long-term positive health and wellbeing outcomes.
Whole of government responsibilities: break down silos and promote government portfolios working together. A purely health-focused response will fall short as the social determinants of health must be addressed for success.
Reform Medicare to:
▪ end human rights violations on intersex people and ensure access to treatments (including assisted reproductive technologies) with personal informed consent; and
▪ ensure gender-affirming surgeries as specific items to help address high costs and low availability.
Quality services at the scale needed:
Increase funding and resources to ensure successful organisations, services programs are sustainable and can be delivered at the scale needed for meaningful and long-term impact.
Recognise the essential role of community-controlled organisations to support capacity building of mainstream services to deliver LGBTIQ+ services and programs, including population-specific organisations such as intersex-led organisations and transgender-led organisations.
Enhance workforce competency through capacity building and training programs for healthcare and social services providers, educators, and policymakers to address knowledge gaps and enhance competency in safe and inclusive care to reduce barriers to healthcare access.
Promote collaboration and co-design with LGBTIQ+ communities when developing policies, programs, and services to ensure interventions are relevant, effective and empowering for those they aim to serve.
Foster intersectional approaches to address the unique challenges faced by those with multiple marginalisation.