The State’s first long-term plan to drive inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) Victorians has been launched by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).
Minister for Equality, Martin Foley released DFFH’s 10-year Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ strategy 2022-2032 at the annual Midsumma Pride March last week (6 February).
“The Plan outlines four areas of reform – protecting equal rights and freedoms; making services more equitable, inclusive and accessible; building evidence to drive decision making; and ensuring LGBTIQ+ communities are safe and strong – which will underpin work across all Government services and organisations,” Mr Foley said.
“It also includes specific actions Government will take over the next decade to ensure that all Victorians feel safe, are healthy, have equal human rights and can live wholly and freely,” he said.
He said the Strategy would be kicked off with an immediate $6.5 million allocation to make organisations safer and more inclusive for LGBTIQ+ Victorians; support the health and wellbeing of people with an intersex variation; and continue peer support for trans and gender diverse Victorians.
Mr Foley said the funding would also include campaigns to tackle discrimination, “making sure those who have been long excluded from services and opportunities in the community because of who they are, feel included”.
The Minister said the Strategy was shaped by more than 1,600 contributions from LGBTIQ+ people, organisations and allies.
“Progress on the impact of this landmark Strategy will be formally tracked and reported over its 10-year lifetime,” Mr Foley said.
DFFH’s 47-page Plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
