Take A Step Forward Program

TAKE A STEP FORWARD

We are honoured to acknowledge and pay respects to the Peek Whurrong peoples of Gunditjmara Nations who hold custodianship of the land on which we meet today, who continue to hold strong connections to land, river and sea country. It is with deep appreciation that we acknowledge these connections, and pay respects to their Elders, past and present.

We would also like to acknowledge any Sistergirls and Brotherboys who are with us today. We honour Indigenous sovereignty as it was never ceded.

ABOUT LEADERSHIP GREAT SOUTH COAST

Leadership Great South Coast (LGSC) provides an annual Community Leadership Program for aspiring and emerging leaders drawn from all sectors of the Great South Coast region.

The Program builds relationships and networks between the business, community and government sectors.

Participants benefit from a variety of perspectives when considering the nature of leadership and the

future of our community and its economic prosperity.

A key aspect of the program is the delivery of a community project. This conference, in collaboration with community, was the initiative of project team members: Daniel Knight, Claire Dagley, Kaye McDowall and Justin Harzmeyer.

We extend our appreciation to the sponsors and partners of the Take A Step Forward – Diversity and Inclusion Conference.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

12:30pm – Arrival

12:50pm – Opening

Master of Ceremonies Daniel Knight (he/him),

Leadership Great South Coast 2022 participant and project team member

Welcome to Country

Tracy Roach from Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation

Welcome to City of Warrnambool

Mayor Cr Vicki Jellie (she/her)

1:15pm – Welcome to LGBTIQA+ Community

• Todd Fernando (he/him), Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities

2:00pm – Understanding gender diversity

• Starlady (she/her/hers), Program Manager, Zoe Belle Gender Collective

2:45pm – Afternoon Tea

3:15pm – Where to start with LGBTIQ inclusion?

• Ruthi Hambling (she/her), HOW2 Coordinator, Rainbow Health Australia

4:00pm – A perspective/voice on gender diversity and inclusion

Panel Discussions facilitated by Starlady

• Aliza Johnson (she/her)

• Jax Brown (they/them), LGBTIQA+ Disability Educator, Speaker, Writer, Workshop Designer & Facilitator, Access Consultant, Activist (ONLINE)

• Ross Simpson (he/him)

• Emily Fox (she/they), Capacity Manager, Proud 2 Play (ONLINE)

5:00pm – How to be a good ally

• Lyn Eales (she/her), Manager School and Community Programs & Sparklez Hernan (they/them), LGBTIQA+ Support & Youth Activities Worker, Brophy Family & Youth Services

5:30pm – Closing

• Claire Dagley (she/her), Leadership Great South Coast 2022 participant and project team member

5:45pm – Celebratory Event

Warrnambool Art Gallery.

Country Roads to Pride: James Mepham (he/him)

GUEST SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

Todd Fernando Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities Pronouns: (he/him)

Todd Fernando is a descendant of the Kalarie peoples of the Wiradjuri nation and identifies as queer with pronouns he/him. Todd is the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communitiesthe second person to fill this groundbreaking position. In this role, Todd provides high-level strategic advice to the Victorian Government on the development of policies, services and programs to meet the needs of LGBTIQ+ communities. Todd is a leading expert in reforming social policy and cultural safety frameworks in public and private sectors across Australia. Todd is recognised as a strategic thought leader, with a commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for all Australians.

Starlady Program Manager, Zoe Belle Gender Collective Pronouns: (she/her)

Starlady is a social justice advocate whose work is underpinned by the human rights principles of equity and freedom of expression. She is passionately committed to addressing discrimination and prejudice within our society through her work in advocacy, education, training and community development. Starlady has a wealth of experience delivering training and secondary consultation to a range of health and human services on trans and gender diverse and broader LGBTIQ+ inclusive practice initiatives and is a member of the Victorian State Government’s trans and gender diverse expert advisory group.

SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

Ruthi Hambling

HOW2 Coordinator, Rainbow Health Australia Pronouns: (she/her)

Ruthi is a trainer and facilitator with a diverse background managing inclusion projects across carer, aged care & disability services. She has extensive experience working with varied stakeholders and specific experience working on LGBTIQA+ inclusion projects.

Aliza Johnson Pronouns:(she/her)

Ngata! Aliza is a young Transgender Wajarri woman, an advocate/ activist, an artist and a people and culture officer for a local community services organisation. Mental health, LGBTQIA+ and cultural rights/ rights for minorities and underprivileged communities is at the core of Aliza’s activism and advocacy work. As well as working with people who identify with disabilities through their identity journey, Aliza teaches them makeup artistry.

Ross Simpson Pronouns:(he/him)

Ross Simpson (he/him) is local to Dunkeld (Southern Grampians Shire) where he has grown up working on local farming properties. He founded ‘Southern Grampians LGBTI Social Support Group’ where he advocates for inclusion and bringing the community together. Through his work on grazing properties, he has a passion for safeguarding the environment and protecting it for further generations. Ross was also a part of the National Centre for Farmer Health where he participated in “The Ripple Effect” where he worked to reduce the stigma of suicide in farming and LGBTIQA+ communities.

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SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

Jax Brown

Pronouns: (they/them)

Jax Brown (they/them) is an esteemed disability and LGBTIQA+ rights activist, writer, educator and consultant. Their tireless commitment to LGBTIQA+ disability human rights and advocacy has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

Jax runs their own business in LGBTIQA+ disability rights and inclusion where they provide sought after guest speaking, education, workshops and training for community members and allies.

Jax has served on the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, Victorian Government’s LGBTI Taskforce Health and Human Services Working Group and the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commis sion’s Disability Reference Group where they advocated for LGBTIQA+ disability communities.

Emily Fox

Capacity Manager, Proud 2 Play Pronouns: (she/they)

Em Fox (she/they) is an advocate based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Em specialises in developing inclusive environments with a focus on intersectionality and the LGBTIQA+ lived experience, and regularly consults within the sports industry regarding LGBTIQA+ inclusion. As an athlete Em has been most active within Australian rules football, as a player and coach in the VFLW, and as a player, coach and committee member in community football.

GUEST SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

Lyn Eales

Manager School and Community Programs, Brophy Family & Youth Services Pronouns: (she/her/hers)

Experienced Project Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the individual and family services industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Event Management, Youth Programs, Music Education, and Community Engagement. Strong professional with a Graduate Certificate focused in Developmental Trauma from Australian Childhood Foundation.

Sparklez Hernan

Sparklez has worked at Brophy Youth and Family Services for the last 5 years. Sparklez facilitates LGBTIQA+ inclusive spaces, delivering LGBTIQA+ training and workshops, and advocates for LGBTIQA+ recognition and celebration across the Great South Coast. Sparklez is proud to work for Brophy an organisation with a Rainbow Tick show ing they are safe, inclusive and an affirming service for the LGBTIQA+ community. Sparklez continues to work to increase the visibility of the LGBTIQA+ community in the South West, creating an environment where everyone is comfortable and confident in expressing themselves.

COMMUNITY REFERENCE GROUP MEMBERS

• Daniel Knight (He/Him) LGSC

• Kaye McDowall (She/Her) LGSC

• Claire Dagley (She/Her) LGSC

• Justin Harzmeyer (He/Him) LGSC

• Jesse Beavis (She/Her)

Glenelg Shire Council

• Tim McLoughlin (He/Him)

Southern Grampians Shire Council

• Anna Pike (She/Her)

Western District Alcohol & Drug Centre

• Lyn Eales (She/Her)

Brophy Family & Youth Services

• Jordan Lockett (He/Him)

Moyne Shire Council

• James Mepham (He/Him) Lived Experience

• Christine Towers (She/Her)

Corangamite Shire Council

• Rachael Gleeson (She/Her)

Warrnambool City Council

• Sparklez Hernan (They/Them)

Brophy Family & Youth Services

LGBTIQA+ Support & Youth Activities Worker, Brophy Family & Youth Services Pronouns: (they/them)

RESOURCES

Organisations for support/networking

• https://brophy.org.au/

• https://brophy.org.au/our-programs/ for-young-people/lgbtiqa-programs/

• https://zbgc.org.au/

• https://rainbowhealthaustralia.org.au/

• https://betterpride.com.au

• https://www.proud2play.org.au/

Useful Resources/Further information

• Rainbow Ready roadmap | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)

• https://www.vic.gov.au/pride-ourfuture-victorias-lgbtiq-strategy2022-32

• https://www.vic.gov.au/inclusivelanguage-guide

• Rainbow Rights: Self-advocacy group run by and for LGBTIQA+ people with intellectual disabilities

• https://rainbowrights.com.au

• Spectrum Intersections: LGBTIQA+ Neurodiverse peer group

• https://www.spectrumintersections.org

• Rainbow Inclusion: A website for LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities

• https://rainbowinclusion.org.au

• Our Rainbow Lives Website

• https://inclusionmelbourne.org.au/ projects/our-rainbow-lives/

• Thorne Harbour Health and Inclusion Melbourne codesigned a number of resources to support LGBTIQA+ peo ple with disability to better understand their rights when accessing support

• https://thorneharbour.org/ lgbti-health/disability/disabilityresources/?fbclid=IwAR2Ch4QRc mYScGqJgPVdGW7Kgesqdt3-ViTSL 0Jod-R7rKGeDjLgIgd1baA

Research about LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities

• The Everyday Experiences of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) People Living with Disability Report, 2018

• More than Ticking a Box: LGBTIQA+ People with Disability talking about their lives Report, 2021

The Great South Coast incorporates the following councils

• Warrnambool City Council: www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/

• Moyne Shire Council: www.moyne.vic.gov.au/Home

• Glenelg Shire Council: www.glenelg.vic.gov.au/Home

• Corangamite Shire Council: www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/Home

• Southern Grampians Shire: www.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/page/ HomePage.aspx

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