WA’s peak body for LGBTQIA+ advocacy Rainbow Futures WA (RFWA) has welcomed Bibulmun Noongar woman Tanesha Bennell in a new role.
The Aboriginal Community Organiser position has been developed in partnership between RFWA, Edith Cowan University’s Kurongkul Katitjin Aboriginal research department and leading LGBTQIA+ health organisation WAAC.
The role is designed to connect these three organisations to implement recommendations of the Walkern Katatdjin Roadmap Report, increasing visibility for Aboriginal LGBTQIA+ people in policy development, improving cultural safety within LGBTQIA+ services and enhancing capacity for Aboriginal organisations to support LGBTQIA+ community members.
Tanesha has been an active advocate in the local community, notably through their work with Boorloo Justice, and brings extensive experience to the position as an activist and storyteller.
“This role is about ensuring Aboriginal LGBTIQA+ voices are heard, valued, and at the centre of decisions that affect our lives,” Bennell says.
“I’m looking forward to building stronger connections and creating spaces where mob feel safe to be their whole selves.”
RFWA CEO Dr Misty Farquhar says they are thrilled to welcome Tanesha to the team.
“Their leadership will be invaluable as we embed the Walkern Katatdjin Roadmap Report findings into our work,” Farquhar said of the appointment.
“Our sector has much to learn from the wisdom and lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ people, and we are committed to supporting meaningful, community-led change.”
WAAC CEO Dr Daniel Vujcich adds that inclusion is not complete until First Nations people are fully included.
“Centring First Nations LGBTIQA+ voices and experiences strengthens our work, deepens our understanding of community, and challenges us to decolonise our own assumptions, practices, and approaches to inclusion, so that our services are genuinely equitable, respectful, and representative.”
Director of Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet at Kurongkurl Katitjin, Professor Bep Uink, confirmed the university’s commitment to this vital work, with funding support provided through the ECU Foundation.
Declaration: OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson is an employee of ECU. Co-editor Leigh Andrew Hill and Dr Misty Farquhar are both employees of Curtin University.
