News
ARTICLE: PROMOTING INCLUSIVE PALLIATIVE CARE FOR LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE
Discrimination drives many LGBTIQ+ people to avoid disclosing their diverse bodies, sexual orientations or genders in healthcare, which has a direct impact on their end-of-life planning, according to Dr Ruth McNair, a General Practitioner and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne.
Article: Research highlights challenges in palliative care for LGBTIQ+ communities
Even with progress in addressing barriers faced by LGBTIQ+ people, research shows there's still significant work to be done, especially in palliative care and end-of-life services, according to Dr Fiona Ann Papps, an Associate Professor in Psychological Sciences at the Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP).
Policy and Research Webinar: Data Diversity - Can the ABS Standard transform LGBTIQ+ policy and planning?
This webinar explores how the ABS 2020 Standard being used to improve data collection on LGBTIQ+ communities.
Aged Care Act Exposure Draft Joint Submission
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) provided comments on the exposure draft of the new Aged Care Act (the Act). As a human-rights based aged care legislative framework, it promises significant improvements for older people receiving Government-funded aged care services.
Webinar: Unleashing potential: co-design strategies for LGBTIQ+ communities
This webinar is an exploration of co-design, featuring the 7-step process developed by Professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele.
Federal Government must deliver robust Aged Care Act without delay Rights of older people have been ignored for too long
The Federal Government must finally deliver a new Aged Care Act that protects and enforces the rights of older people, allows visitors in aged care at all times, and supports informal carers of older people without delay, organisations representing older people and carers say.
Webinar: Transforming Tasmania: Lessons in LGBTIQA+ Health, Wellbeing and Equality
In 2024, Tasmania is a leading state in LGBTIQ+ equality and policymaking — a significant improvement from being the worst Australian jurisdiction for these issues only a few years ago.
New Data Confirms Need for 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 a new article, Mental health findings for LGBTQ+ Australians, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2020-2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Budget Submission 2023-2024
The Australian Federal Budget for 2024-2025 will be put to Parliament in May.
This year’s LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) submission focuses on work underway by the Federal Government to develop an LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing 10-Year National Action. The Action Plan is expected to be complete later in 2024.
Focus Needed on Reducing Harms among LGBTQ+ People Who Use Drugs
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) has called for urgent action to reduce harms associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people (LGBTQ+), responding to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023[1].
Interview: Dr Ashwin Kaniah, GP and Palliative Medicine Advanced Trainee
Webinar: Walkern Katatdjin Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people
Join us for LGBTIQ+ Health Australia's February policy and research webinar, exploring what 'Walkern Katatdjin' tells us about working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people.
Webinar: Translating findings from the ‘Out with Cancer’ study into training materials
Join us for LGBTIQ+ Health Australia's first webinar of 2024, which delved into understanding cancer in LGBTIQ+ communities.
Webinar: Advocating for Change, Advancing Best Practice: Reflections on AusPath 2023
The recent Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) conference explored ‘Advocating for Change, Advancing Best Practice’. In this webinar, for those who missed the conference and those who want more, organisers and leading participants explore key messages, thought-provoking content and new learnings. It will ask, 'where to from here?'
Webinar: Empowering Diversity: Aged Care Reforms for LGBTI older people
Join us for a groundbreaking webinar as we delve into Australian aged care reforms following the Royal Commission, focusing on how they can positively impact the lives of LGBTI older people. Will they deliver a future of inclusivity, respect and personalised support?
Submission on the Cancer Council National Cervical Screening Program Guidelines
Cancer Council Australia invited submissions on their update to the National Cervical Screening Program Guidelines. The revision marks a comprehensive update, examining new evidence to ensure the Guidelines are as up to date as possible.
National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy
The National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy - Beyond Urgent is a plan for strategic action to prevent mental ill-health and suicide, and promote good mental health and wellbeing for LGBTIQ+ people and communities across Australia.
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 and present.
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.