At their recent Annual General Meeting members of GRAI: GLBTI Rights in Ageing Inc appointment five people as life members of the organsiation.
Receiving the honour for their years of volunteering and advocacy were founding members Graham Lovelock and Steve Singer, former senator Louise Pratt, researcher Jude Comfort and community worker Wendy Bennett.
The appointment of the life members comes as the advocacy group marks it’s 20th anniversary.
The AGM also saw the appointment of three new board members with Jane Armstrong, Tanya Beeson, and
Reno Furfaro stepping up to serve two year terms.
Members heard that the organisation was in good financial shape with significant cash reserves, and an operational surplus for the year.
The CEO Kedy Krystal reported GRAI’s major achievements included continued growth of the LGBTI Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme in its second year, with an increase in LGBTIQA+ volunteers, while there had also been a huge level of advocacy work at both a state and federal level.
Submissions made during the year on historical homosexual convictions, Births Deaths and Marriages regulations, conversion practices legislation, guardianship and administration law reform, recognition of LGBTI veterans, and older persons inclusion.
The development of the Pride Intergenerational Housing Pilot had not achieved it’s goals, but the concept
remains viable and further funding will be sought. While there also been an increased demand for training services about inclusion from the aged care sector.
