News
Annual Report 2022-2023
This is LGBTIQ+ Health Australia's Annual Report for 2022-2023.
LGBTIQ+ content on AIHW National Suicide and Self Harm Monitoring System
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) has welcomed the release of new data providing a clearer picture on the risk of mental health, self-harm and suicide for LGBTIQ+ communities within the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Suicide and Self Harm Monitoring System and called for more work to include broader national data on LGBTIQ+ populations.
Submission of improving access to multidisciplinary gender affirming care
The Australian Department of Health and Ageing’s Medical Services Advisory Committee are considering an application to improve access to multidisciplinary gender affirming care.
LGBTIQ+ Consultation Report: National Suicide Prevention Strategy May 2023
To inform the development of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia was commissioned to facilitate targeted consultations to provide advice on issues and experiences of mental health and suicide by LGBTIQ+ people and communities, and provide recommendations to how the Strategy should acknowledge the needs of LGBTIQ+ people and communities as a priority.
First Nations Voice to Parliament Result: Statement by LHA Board
LHA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land and community. We pay our respects to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultures, and to Elders of past, present and future generations.
Submission on New Model for Regulating Aged Care
The Australian Government aims to “place older people in Australia at the centre of regulation, increasing protections and empowering them to exercise their rights in the context of a reformed and improved aged care system.” LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) supports this aim and is seeking practical strategies to achieve it for older LGBTI people.
New National Mental Health Data Confirms Need for Greater Focus on LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Wellbeing
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) today called for urgent responses across Australia on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people’s (LGBTQ+) mental health, responding to new mental health and wellbeing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2020-2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Study).
Submission to ABS 2026 Census Topic Consultation Phase Two
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is consulting on topics for the next National Census in 2026.
Current data collection does not adequately count LGBTIQ+ populations. This results in a lack of data to monitor and report on national strategies, and insufficient data for targeted policy development, service delivery and resource allocation.
Remembering Rainbow: LGBTIQA+ Memorial for World Suicide Prevention Day
Our Remembering Rainbow is a physical tribute memorialising the names of LGBTIQA+ people across Australia who have taken their own lives. By tying ribbons on the Remembering Rainbow, we tell the world that the countless people in our communities who experience suicidality and those who we have lost to suicide will not be forgotten, their lives and stories live on because we are taking action together.
Lack of personal safety experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and other diverse sexually orientated women demands immediate response
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) is calling for immediate action to increase the personal safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual and other diverse sexually orientated (LGB+) 1 women in response to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing LGB+ women experience sexual
violence at a rate of more than four times higher than heterosexual women.
National LGBTIQ+ Palliative Care Community of Practice
In 2020, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) received funding through the National Palliative Care Projects grant, through the Department of Health and Aged Care, to deliver several capacity building initiatives to improve the experiences of LGBTIQ+ people and their loved ones accessing palliative and end-of-life care.
Transforming Families Webinar: Dr Yael Perry, Telethon Kids
Members are invited to our next Capacity Building Session featuring Dr Yael Perry of Telethon Kids. Dr Perry will present on 'Transforming Families', a digital hub of evidence-based resources, to assist with supporting families of trans and gender diverse children and young people.
Yarn It Up
LHA calls for rigorous evidence over opinions to ensure that trans and gender diverse young people have access to the care they need, at the right time, where they live.
LHA firmly opposes harmful misinformation that endangers the lives and mental health of trans and gender diverse individuals. These unfounded claims perpetuate stigma and isolation, disregarding the overwhelming consensus within the medical and psychological communities.
LHA calls for care using LGBTQ+ content on AIHW National Suicide and Self Harm Monitoring System
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National (AIHW) Suicide and Self Harm Monitoring System today provided a new release of data drawing on Private Lives 3, the LGBTQ+[1] community survey by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS).
Submission on New Model for Regulating Aged Care
The Australian Government aims to “place older people in Australia at the centre of regulation, increasing protections and empowering them to exercise their rights in the context of a reformed and improved aged care system.” LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) supports this aim and is seeking practical strategies to achieve it for older LGBTI people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament: Statement by LHA Board
On 6 May 2023 the LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) Board of Governance convened a face-to-face meeting on Gadigal Land, Sydney. At this meeting, the Board of Governance discussed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
Submission to ABS 2026 Census Topic Consultation Phase One
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) is calling for the 2026 census to include an integrated set of questions that capture adequate data on LGBTIQ+ people: sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation. These topics meet the ABS census criteria for national importance and need.
ABS Census Consultation
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is consulting ahead of the 2026 Census on needed information that is not currently collected. The exclusion of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status questions means a lack of essential data for evidenced-based LBGTIQ+ health and wellbeing policies and programs.
Submission on Australian clinical quality registries
While LGBTIQ+ people have poorer health outcomes than the broader community, current data collection does not adequately include LGBTIQ+ demographics. This means LGBTIQ+ populations are routinely excluded or not adequately considered in policy and program development.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia welcomes ANROWS gendered violence findings
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia welcomes the important insights and recommendations from the nation’s largest survey into attitudes around gendered violence released today.
Annual Report 2021-2022
This is LGBTIQ+ Health Australia's Annual Report for 2021-2022
Webinar: LGBTIQ+ Body Pride: Navigating body image and eating disorders
The LGBTIQ+ community is disproportionately impacted by eating disorders and body image concerns.
Submission: Australian Law Reform Commission consultation on anti-discrimination law
LHA welcomes the Australian Government’s move to prevent educational institutions discriminating against students and staff based on sexual orientation, gender, relationship status or pregnancy.
Submission: Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 - exposure draft
The Australian Government has sought comment on an exposure draft of the Family Law Amendment Bill 2023
LHA submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare
LHA provided comments to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee into Universal Access to Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare.
Federal commitment to 10-year LGBTIQ+ Health and Wellbeing Action Plan is life-saving
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) today welcome Federal Government commitment to a 10-year national action plan for LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing, alongside an LGBTIQ+ Health Advisory Group and $26 million for health research.
National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy
The National Mental Health Commission is developing a National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy on behalf of the Australian Government. It aims to ensure stigma and discrimination on the basis of mental ill-health are not barriers to people living long and contributing lives.
Submission on National Dementia Action Plan
The Department of Health Ageing consulted on the 10-year draft National Dementia Action Plan. LHA supports the Plan’s aim of putting people living with dementia, their families, and carers at the centre of all action on dementia.