Gay and Lesbian Community Services Counsellor Mark Woodman gives insight into the organisation’s crucial counselling and educational services.

What we really do:

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Just what does Gay and Lesbian Community Services do? In a nutshell, we fight bullshit and we counter fear. And there are a lot of both out there. The bullshit is a rich mythology about sexuality and gender that is deeply ingrained in our culture – stereotypes, misinformation, factual errors and beliefs masquerading as truths. This misinformation is pervasive, held to some extent by us all and potentially devastating. The fear that goes with these (mis)beliefs when held by someone who is same sex attracted or gender diverse can be utterly disabling and even lethal.

Working the phones:

Anyone who thinks this fear is no longer true should try spending a couple of nights on the phones at Gay and Lesbian Community Services. GLBTI people still get bashed. We still get verbally abused. We still face discrimination at work, bullying at school and rejection at home. We still hide our true nature from the world and this can drastically restrict the range and richness of our family relationships, friendships, partnerships and careers. We still kill ourselves. All because of bullshit and fear.

So our first priority at Gay and Lesbian Community Services is to continue what we’ve done for the past 33 years – helping those who are struggling to accept a same sex attraction or dealing with the consequences of others who cannot accept them. Tragically, many of the calls we receive are identical to those taken back in 1974. While state law reform and increased representation of GLBTI people in popular culture has resulted in better legal protection and increased awareness, it has not improved the average person’s knowledge of diverse sexuality and – particularly – gender.

Will & Grace and the token stereotypes caged in the Big Brother fantasy world do little to challenge the entrenched – and often bizarre – myths about GLBTI people. Some inadvertently re-enforce the stereotypes.

Breaking down the barriers:

For those who continue to face 1950’s style overt homophobia and severe levels of internalised homophobia Gay and Lesbian Community Services is WA’s main dedicated GLBTI-specific counselling and support service provider. We mount a twin pronged attack on bullshit – our phone counselling line and our Award-winning Opening Closets training program and community education programs. We aim to replace the old and tired myths and stereotypes with accurate and contemporary perspectives on diverse sexuality and gender.

Our second vital job at GLCS is to act as a central information resource for the WA community – everyone, not just GLBTI people. In this role we have had to respond to two broad cultural shifts. Firstly, as general community attitudes become more positive a greater range of people are seeking accurate information about diverse sexuality and gender. These include parents and friends of GLBTI people and professionals working with GLBTI clients.

Secondly, as the queer community simultaneously diversifies and integrates with mainstream culture, we are taking an increasing number of calls addressing loneliness and isolation within our community or difficulty finding a sense of belonging. While many are now better able to independently accept and publicly acknowledge their sexuality or gender identity (“coming out”) they find it harder to find a shared sense of community (“coming in”).

How to get involved:

Our longevity and stability comes from our community ownership and the passion and dedication of our members and volunteers. We receive a small amount of funding from the Health Department and this is very much appreciated and essential as it covers our basic costs. However, our frontline services and most of the other work is done by our dedicated volunteers.

If you would like to help make a real positive impact on our community, please contact Gay and Lesbian Community Services on 9486 9855. A new counsellor training course in late 07/early 08 provides a great opportunity for you to kick start your involvement!

Mark Woodman