Dani Wright has taken over as WA’s delegate to The National LGBTI Health Alliance, Australia’s peak health body for the gay and gender-diverse community, after they held their inaugural state and territory representative elections late last year.
Wright, who is The Freedom Centre’s coordinator, was nominated by and took over the role from WA AIDS Council executive director Trish Langdon.
Wright said she was flattered by the appointment and hoped to bring ‘a bit of a youth perspective’ to help publicise the campaign.
‘I am really excited; I feel like I am probably a little less experienced than some on the new board but I am really excited,’ she said.
Health Alliance executive director Gabi Rosenstreich was thrilled with the appointment and the rest of the new Health Alliance board.
However, Rosenstreich noted that the momentum of the Health Alliance’s work was jeopardised by dwindling funds.
‘The Alliance was set up from seed funding provided by a number of our founding organisations … to get the Alliance up and running,’ she said.
‘With community-raised money, we have enough for a couple of months and we will be proactively seeking donations from the community.
‘The LGBTI community sector is a poorly resourced sector and there is no way that we could sustain a national peak body through membership fees.’
The Federal Government was the next source for funding, even though Rosenstreich was doubtful they would assist.
Health Alliance members have held discussions with the Federal Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon over the remaining ‘pathways’ left for funding.
‘A lot of non-governmental peak bodies are funded through the Federal Government for other population groups that take care of health and well-being issues such as women and young people,’ Rosenstreich said.
‘The Alliance has been trying to get federal funding, that’s where we see the most appropriate source of funding.
‘At this stage, it doesn’t look hopeful that the government will provide more funding.’
Rosenstreich said the ideal situation would be federal funding for the organisation’s overheads such as rent and staff wages followed by sourcing specific project funding.
The executive director ensured that the organisation would continue to run as a national advocacy organisation for LGBTI health issues regardless of whether it could maintain full-time staff.
‘What is important though is that even if we don’t have funding to sustain staffing, we will still exist as a national peak body,’ she said.
‘It’s always a struggle for organisations; we are not unique in that sense.’
The Health Alliance consists of 104 members nationwide including many state-based advocacy and support organisations.
Benn Dorrington
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