WAAC (formerly the WA AIDS Council) and WA’s Youth Pride Network has withdrawn from attending the 2025 Better Together Conference in Adelaide.
In a statement WAAC CEO Dr Daniel Vujcich said the decision was made to show solidarity with trans and gender-diverse members of the community who had raised concern about the their safety and dignity at the event.
“WAAC has withdrawn from the 2025 Better Together Conference in solidarity with trans and gender-diverse community members who raised concerns that the organisers had given a platform to content which undermines their dignity, safety and wellbeing.” Dr Vujcich said.
Concern over a podcast created by the organisers of the event has grown in recent days and an apology from The Equality Project has done little to quell to exodus of high profile presenters and organisations pulling out.
“To come to this position, we have consulted members of the trans and gender-diverse community. At WAAC, we follow the lead of the communities we serve and support. When trans and gender-diverse people tell us their safety and dignity are at stake, we do our best to listen and to act.” Dr Vujcich said.
“Trans and gender-diverse people deserve respect, affirmation, safety and the right to tell their own stories. WAAC will not participate in forums that compromise these core rights.
“As a trusted member of the LGBTIQA+ community sector, we have a responsibility to guard against all forms of harm; this includes lateral violence within our own communities.
Dr Vujcich said different organisations would make their own decisions about whether to attend the conference.
“We acknowledge that different organisations will reach different conclusions about the right course of action based on their local circumstances and consultations. This is the right decision for WAAC, grounded in discussions with trans and gender diverse communities and individuals with whom we work. We make no judgment about the decisions of other organisations that choose to remain involved.
“The decision to withdraw from Better Together means WAAC staff will no longer present the important work of our Freedom Project, which offers social support, counselling, and community-building opportunities for LGBTIQA+ young people aged 12-25 years. However, our commitment to trans and gender-diverse young people remains absolute.
“As queer activist Marsha P Johnson reminded us, there can be “no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
“These words guide WAAC’s purpose every day. Our freedom is bound together, and we will continue to seek out and create spaces where trans and gender-diverse people are not just included, but centred, celebrated and safe.
Dr Vujcich said WAAC looked forward to re-engaging with the conference in the future, once the concerns raised by trans and gender-diverse community members have been addressed, and their safety has been assured.
Following concern over the podcast conversation between Matt Beard, the Executive Director of international LGBTIQA+ advocacy organistion All Out, and Jason Tuazon McCheyne, the founder of The Equality Project, several high profile organisations have announced boycotts of the event.
WA’s Youth Pride Network is also withdrawing from the event
Adding their name to the list of groups who are no longer going is Western Australia’s Youth Pride Network.
In a statement the Youth Pride Network said they had made the decision to withdraw from participating in this year’s conference.
“This decision has not been made lightly. It is deeply embedded in the respect and solidarity we hold for our transgender and gender-diverse community here in Western Australia and across Australia.
“We have listened to the concerns raised by Transgender Victoria, and many of the transgender people we work alongside here in WA. These concerns speak to the harm that can occur when trans voices are marginalised or when platforms allow the spread of misinformation about trans lives and experiences.” they said.
“As an organisation grounded in lived experience, evidence-based practice, and the empowerment and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ young people, we cannot remain involved in an event where members of our community feel unsafe, unseen, or misrepresented.
“Our commitment to trans and gender-diverse young people is unwavering. We believe that inclusion must be authentic and centred on lived experience, not tokenistic or conditional. Trans young people deserve to be heard, respected, and supported without compromise.
“Standing in solidarity means standing up, especially when it is uncomfortable. It means holding firm to our values when it is difficult and using our collective voice to proudly declare that our movement is not whole without our trans community, because there is no pride without our trans community.
The Youth Pride Network said through their work they undertake extensive research into the experiences of LGBTIQA+ young people in Western Australia.
“Through our State of Play reports, we have consistently heard, directly from young people themselves that trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary young people in WA face disproportionately higher levels of discrimination, mental health challenges, and barriers to inclusion compared to their peers across the broader LGBTIQA+ community.
“These findings reinforce why it is essential that trans and gender-diverse voices are not sidelined, debated, or questioned, but instead centred in all spaces that seek to represent our community.
The Youth Pride Network said they remain committed to continuing their education work across the wider community, including through their training and professional development for the youth sector.
“We aim to strengthen understanding, challenge misinformation, and promote approaches to supporting young people that are grounded in evidence and informed by lived experience.
The group said the situation was a moment for people to embrace reflection.
“This moment is also an opportunity for reflection and growth. We recognise that conferences like Better Together have the potential to be powerful spaces for learning, collaboration, and challenging misinformation, but only when all participants can engage safely and with mutual respect. We hope this decision encourages deeper dialogue about how future events can ensure that trans and gender-diverse voices are centred, not debated.
“The Youth Pride Network remains committed to working collectively towards a more inclusive, informed, and respectful movement. We look forward to engaging with the Better Together Conference and Equality Project in the future, once the concerns raised by our trans community have been actioned in a meaningful way and the safety of all participants are guaranteed.” the organisation said.
The network’s coordinator Chloe Clements had been scheduled to deliver a presentation at Better Together on their State of Play Report III which explores the healthcare experiences of LGBTIQA+ young people in Western Australia, highlighting both progress and persistent barriers in the system.
The Equality Project face boycotts, condemnations and broken relationships
Victoria’s Drummond Street Services, who also run QueerSpace, have cut all ties with The Equality Project, while Transgender Victoria also announced they were pulling out. Trans Sisters United, who are also based in Melbourne, said the apology from The Equality Project sidestepped the concerns that were being raised.
The Equality Project issued an apology on Saturday, and on Monday all the episodes of their podcast series were wiped from the internet.
Amnesty International’s NSW LGBTIA+ Network also publicly criticised The Equality Project posting a message of solidarity with transgender communities.
South Australia’s Rainbow Advocacy Alliance said they would still be attending the conference this week, published a statement condemning the podcast. While Victoria’s Commissioner for LGBTQIA+ Communities, Joe Ball, said he would still be heading to Adelaide to present.
The 2025 Better Together conference is set to run in Adelaide over two days beginning on Friday with over 80 sessions in the program. OUTinPerth will be covering the conference and presenting two sessions.
