Victorian organisations adopt Embracing Equality Charter to combat discrimination

Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria applaud the Victorian peak organisations that have pledged to end the discrimination and inequities experienced by LGBTIQ+ communities in Victoria with the Embracing Equality Charter.

Launched this week, signatories on the Embracing Equality Charter include: Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People’s Alliance, Mental Health Victoria, Youth Affairs Council Victoria, Victorian Healthcare Association, Council to Homeless Persons, Victorian Alcohol & Drug Association, and Victorian Trades Hall Council.

“As a LGBTIQ community-controlled organisation, we are committed toward working toward a healthy future for our sex, sexuality, and gender diverse communities. We thank these organisations for taking up our cause. If we’re going see an improvement in the health and wellbeing of our communities, it’s going to require commitments from peak organisations like we’ve seen today,” said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.

He added, “We can’t achieve our vision without the broader health service system getting on board.”

“The Embracing Equality Charter is a very heartening development. This work must be led by us as both LGBTIQ+ people and as LGBTIQ+ organisations, but we know that we cannot do it alone,” said Switchboard CEO Joe Ball.

“Switchboard also welcomes the Charter’s ongoing reference to the role and centrality of community-controlled organisations. LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations ensure that our health is in our hands and that nothing is done about us without us.”

“Our collective work in addressing the discrimination and inequities experienced by LGBTIQ+ people is not over. We’ve seen some great steps forward, but both research and experience show us that there is still so much work to be done. We hope this is just the beginning and the Embracing Equality Charter provides some much needed momentum to improving the health and wellbeing of our LGBTIQ+ communities.”

The Embracing Equality Charter can be found online here.

Source: Media release

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