• Online group STOP SAFE Schools Coalition wants to prevent LGBT youth from attending same-sex formal
• Report shows that Aboriginal lesbians face cultural barriers that can lead to isolation and mental health issues
• Study finds that recreational drug use in the gay community is high, but dependency is low
• Renewed calls for pill testing trials in Victoria

The post Star Observer Weekly News Wrap appeared first on On the Line.

This is not Luke Taylor!!

Attracting over 150,000 visits annually The Sustainable Living Festival engages with hundreds of organisations and individuals to stage Australia’s largest sustainability festival.

The Festival’s Director Luke Taylor joins Dean to discuss the three week program which engages individuals and communities across Victoria to host and promote sustainability events. Celebrating the very best examples of ecological and social sustainability the festival embraces interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits, films and live performances.

Check out the Festival Program. 

The post Exploring Sustainable Living with Festival Director Luke Taylor appeared first on On the Line.

The Deputy Manager of Opposition Business and Shadow Attorney-General the Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC, MP joins Dean to express his outrage at the Australian Christian Lobby’s attempts to “override” Australia’s anti-discrimination laws ahead of the national debate on marriage equality and the plebiscite.

The post Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus Appalled by ACL appeared first on On the Line.

• • Some parents have spoken out against the Safe Schools Coalition’s All of Us resource, and taken their children out of school
  • The Relationships Bill has been amended to allow same-sex couples to hold ceremonies when registering their relationships
  • South Australia has passed a bill allowing female co-parents to both be recognised on their child’s birth certificate

The post Star Observer Weekly News Wrap appeared first on On the Line.

The crack down on ex-gay crack pots will not stop the insidious nature of ex-gay ideology according to Inside Ex-gay producer Nathan Despott who joins Dean On the Line with more.

The post Crack Down on Ex-gay Crack Pots appeared first on On the Line.

The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) has appointed Darryl O’Donnell as Executive Director coinciding with the departure of Rob Lake who has led the organisation for the past 5 years.

At a time when national peak body health organisations are in turmoil with uncertain futures due to federal government cut backs, AFAO’s interim replacement reflects the sector’s instability.

Rob Lake joins Dean to reflect on his time within the organisation and the future of the national HIV response.

The post Rob Lake Leaves AFAO appeared first on On the Line.

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) today announced the launch of its first Trans and Gender Diverse Advisory Group, which will provide advice to the organisation on supporting and promoting the health and wellbeing of Victoria’s sexually and gender diverse communities.

Chaired by VAC Project Lead, Trans Health, Jeremy Wiggins, the group’s members represent a breadth of expertise and lived experience in sexually and gender diverse communities. The scope of the advisory group’s activities will include: general medical services, sexual health services, alcohol and drugs, HIV services, mental health, health promotion, policy, diversity and inclusion.

Alongside the launch of the advisory group, VAC has welcomed on board Dr Pauline Cundill to provide GP services to the trans and gender diverse community from the organisation’s Fitzroy site, where VAC’s PRONTO! rapid HIV testing service is currently based. From 22 February this new, bulk-billing service will be operating on Mondays and Thursdays, with appointments available between 9AM–3.30PM.

Jeremy teamed up with Peter Locke, Practice and Program Manager at VAC’s Centre Clinic and Pronto, to make the announcement On The Line with Dean Beck.

The post New Health Advisory and Trans Clinic Announced appeared first on On the Line.

• Victorian Government to formally apologise to men convicted of historic gay sex crimes
• Melbourne’s Pride March saw Opposition Leader in attendance for the first time
• Victorian PrEP trial will expand to include up to 2,600 people
• High school students petition for same-sex inclusion at high school deb
• Biggest study of intersex people in Australia released

The post Star Observer Weekly News Wrap appeared first on On the Line.

This week Star Observer journalist and Dean’s Pride March co-host Shannon Power, wrote a disturbing article about Eric, a Scandinavian man who has been visiting Australia every year for 22 years, but was recently denied a tourist visa because he is living with HIV.

Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy

This mistake by Boarder Force was eventually acknowledged, but their less-than-adequate apology has infuriated Eric and his partner who will now sell their Sydney property, choosing to spend their time travelling in Europe in future.

HIV stigma was at the centre of Dean’s call for the resignation of Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy last December following the unfortunate mistake she made during a World AIDS Day media call.  After writing to the Minister, Dean received a commitment that she would address the matter on air.

Minister Hennessy’s apology and the announcement that Victoria will increase its PrEP trial to 2600 participants happened when she joined Dean on Saturday Magazine last weekend.

Read Dean’s analysis of the PrEP Trial announcement.

People wishing to register to participate in the new PrEPX Trial can do so here. 

The post Stigmatizing Mistakes, Apologies and PrEPX Trial Announcement appeared first on On the Line.

Last week The Stirrer’s Doug Pollard revealed that the national peak body for our communities health and well-being, LGBTI Health Alliance was being defunded by the Federal Government.

In a letter dated 2 February 2016, the Alliance received notification from the Federal Department of Health that the appeal they had lodged following on the Governments original decision had failed – the only option left was to ask the Commonwealth Ombudsman to intervene.  An unlikely action considering the mounting evidence of importance and failure to meet the basic requirements in the original grant application.

Doug Pollard joins Dean for a full update while the future of the organisation remains doubtful.  Read more about Doug’s investigation here. 

The post It’s Official – Government Defunds Health Alliance appeared first on On the Line.