Parliament passes call for DFV services that cater to the needs of LGBTIQ+ victim-survivors

Today Abigail passed a call for the government to properly fund frontline domestic, family and sexual violence services that specifically cater to the needs of LGBTIQ+ victim-survivors.

Abigail moved:

(1) That this House notes that:

(a) Tuesday 28 May 2024 was LGBTIQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day, which was first marked in 2020 to raise awareness of the nuances of domestic, family and intimate partner violence and abuse occurring in LGBTIQ+ communities;

(b) the founders of the annual awareness day, LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation, advocate for necessary changes in both the visibility of LGBTIQ+ people’s experiences and the quality of response they receive when reaching out for help, to ensure that all people no matter their sexuality or gender identity can feel seen and believed and receive safe and inclusive support;

(c) according to Australia’s largest national survey of the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people to date, “Private Lives 3 National Report” published in 2020 by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University:

(i) over 60% of LGBTIQ people experience domestic, family or intimate partner violence or abuse,

(ii) 72% of LGBTIQ people who have experienced domestic or family violence did not report the abuse to anyone, and of the 5.9% of victims who reported it to police (including LGBTIQ Liaison Officers) only 45% felt supported in doing so, which might indicate that queer people feel that sufficient support is not available to them or they are unaware about services they could access,

(iii) notably, a large proportion of participants expressed a preference for LGBTIQ inclusive services or services that cater only to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex people if they were to require support relating to family violence in the future, and

(iv) despite a number of important legislative reforms either nationally or at the state or territory level over the past decade, further investment toward improving health and wellbeing is necessary, as rates of mental health and other challenges remain high and the proportion of LGBTIQ people accessing LGBTIQ-inclusive or specific services are still low.

(2) That this House calls on the NSW Government to commit to supporting the needs of LGBTIQ+ people by properly funding frontline domestic, family and sexual violence services that specifically cater to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and/or intersex people, including in regions outside inner suburban areas, that are fully informed and shaped by consultation with all relevant communities, and the inclusion of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex variation/s in government policy frameworks as key priority populations.

The motion passed successfully as formal business. Read the full transcript in Hansard here.

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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Parliament passes call for DFV services that cater to the needs of LGBTIQ+ victim-survivors

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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