Latest News from Working It Out

Annual General Meeting
The 2011 Annual General Meeting of Working It Out will be held in Campbell Town on Saturday
September 24th.



Be Proud Tasmania Nov 2011 – Sept 2012
Three Tasmanian community organisations working together! October 2011 Tasmania Together partner, Working It Out (WIO), with the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG) and the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD) are going to work together

The three distinct organisations aim to tackle discrimination by collecting the stories and statistics of those who experience discrimination or prejudice related to their sexuality and or gender. TasCAHRD Executive Office, Kevin Marriott, welcomed the funding. "The importance of the Be Proud Tasmania project is highlighted by having three, longstanding organisations that have worked with LGBTI Tasmanians come together with united purpose. We are very proud to be a part of it!"

The $30,000 grant from the LGBTI Grants Program announced by the Minister for Community Development, Cassy O’Connor shows there is government recognition of the need to gather data of discrimination, prejudice and abuse against LGBTI Tasmanians. The grant comes from a three-year fund established to meet the Tasmania Together benchmarks of reducing discrimination, prejudice and hate crime against LGBTI Tasmanians. The fund was a Green election commitment, which was announced in the 2010 State Budget.

The project will work to collect both experiences of discrimination and prejudice and the anecdotal evidence of the fear of this discrimination which for some people occurs on a daily basis As many of us are aware, this can impact dramatically on an individual’s life, education and participation in the community.

Be proud tasmania will collect statistics and gather personal stories from focus groups and individual sessions. Be proud tasmania will include the stories of discrimination experienced in schools and educational institutions. As we know from the three Writing Themselves In reports, safety in schools continues to be a big issue and one that can be addressed through education and training programs.

According to Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, the funding will contribute to a more accepting and safe Tasmania for everyone. "National surveys indicate that discrimination, prejudice and abuse against LGBTI Tasmanians is worse than the national average, making it crucial that we have robust, reliable data upon which to build effective anti-discrimination programs."

The investment in this project is not for a minority of the population but rather it addresses issues in the broader community. Incidents of discrimination fear and prejudice are detrimental to us all.

WIO Executive Officer, Susan Ditter, said, "Until now the experiences of discrimination and prejudice in our communities, and the level of fear of this discrimination, have not been recorded. This project will give lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people of all ages the opportunity to record such incidents in a confidential and safe environment, and it will give the organisations involved the base data they need to better tackle discrimination. I am very pleased to say that the two consultants working on the project will be Dr Nicole Asquith and Chris Fox, both of whom bring a wealth of experience to their roles.

Exploring Gender and Sexuality Nov 2011
Exploring Gender & Sexuality with Sharon Jones and Mani Bruce Mitchell Many of you will have heard of the fascinating and inspirational New Zealander Mani Bruce Mitchell. An 'out', proud Intersex person, sexual abuse survivor, educator, counsellor and spokesperson, Mani has addressed Tasmanian audiences on a number of occasions in past years and is once again returning in November to tour Tasmania exploring difference and gender on a continuum.

Time To Tell Feb 2012
A new Project for Young People Time To Tell WIO has also received funds for a public speaking training program for LGBTI young people. The vision for Working It Out is to build individual resilience, community capacity and a more just society. The training program Time to Tell will be run in the North of the state providing a two day forum for same sex attracted and gender queer young people to develop their stories, gain new skills, provide peer support and ensure their confidence and safety.

Ms Ditter said, Our service works with individuals and organisations to create a greater understanding of those negotiating their sexuality and or gender. "When we conduct awareness training for teachers or other service providers we find that the personal and life stories told by young LGBTI people are the most effective way to break down prejudice and stereotypes."



Outgames Human Rights Conference in Wellington

In March WIO staff Sharon Jones and Susan Ditter presented at the 2nd Asia Pacific Games Human Rights Conference in Wellington New Zealand. There were four streams to the conference:
- Law and our rights
- Learning
- Well-being
- Out stories from the past
- Work

WIO collaborated with New Zealanders from Dunedin and Wellington to present The how and WOW of storytelling. We use story to affirm what we believe, to confirm our individual feelings, to inform other, to separate myth from fact, to link us to others and to make us laugh. The panel presented some examples, including experiences of visibility, identity, sharing and work in the training. The workshop was an opportunity to discuss the power of storytelling in individual and group support situations and as a public presentation in education and work place training. We recognise the importance of relating experiences of discrimination and prejudice as well as those of pride and celebration, reinforcing strength and community.

A pre-conference Hui for Trans and Intersex people set a significant benchmark for the next three days. The presence of a significant number of pacific islanders at the Hui transformed the discussion from a western premise and terminology to one of culture and celebration of a far greater lineage. We have returned with resources and contacts and a greater understanding of the experiences of other those from other cultures and countries.