LGBTIQA+ strategy framework
Vision
All Victorians feel safe, are healthy, have equal human rights and can live wholly and freely.
LGBTIQA+ Victorians experience the benefits of full participation in economic, educational, political, community and social areas at all stages of life.
Victoria leads the way in LGBTIQA+ equality, celebrating culture, community and taking sustained, enduring and measurable action.
Priority areas
Areas of reform that organise our actions to realise the vision.
- Priority area 1: Equal rights and freedoms
- Priority area 2: Equitable, inclusive, and accessible services
- Priority area 3: Visibility to inform decision making
- Priority area 4: Safe, strong and sustainable communities
Victorian Government actions
Actions we will deliver to realise the priority areas.
Outcomes framework
How we will know if our actions are having a positive impact.
Key impacts we want to see under each priority area.
Developed over the life of the strategy to track LGBTIQA+ outcomes.
From roller derby to gala – how a regional community celebrated its LGBTIQA+ people
Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby – located in Victoria’s regional south-east – estimates that 30 per cent of its members identify as LGBTIQA+. Combining this with a knowledge that for many LGBTIQA+ people in regional areas life is not always safe or welcoming, the club set out on a mission in 2019 to show its support for LGBTIQA+ Gippslanders.
‘We wanted to celebrate our LGBTIQA+ members, create visibility and make a space to talk about inclusion.’
Bodye Darvill (she/her), Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby president and LGBTIQA+ ally
The club tapped into its networks and local community partners to raise $70,000. This included $10,000 from the Victorian Government to deliver three events. In May 2019, the club held a ‘Pride 101’ community forum to raise awareness of LGBTIQA+ issues. In June 2019, they held Australia’s first Roller Derby Pride Cup. The Pride Cup included an exhibition game between Gippsland Ranges Roller Derby and Gender Ending Story, a roller derby team for trans and gender diverse people.
The jewel in the crown was the inaugural Gippsland Pride Gala, which took place on the night of the Pride Cup. The gala saw about 400 LGBTIQA+ people, their friends, families and allies come together to dance the night away. The events were particularly emotional for older LGBTIQA+ people, who had not experienced such local LGBTIQA+ visibility and celebration.
Nothing like this had ever been done in Gippsland, but it created a ripple effect. After these events, the Gippsland Pride Initiative was established – made up of community members and allies across Gippsland – to continue to drive local pride. The awareness led to other conversations in community and to local businesses and services improving their LGBTIQA+ inclusion.
So, what can others learn? Partnerships are key – with local LGBTIQA+ groups, community, business and government. At the core, we must drive efforts with LGBTIQA+ people, not for them.
Updated