Saturday Magazine

Fiona and Macca talk to Maya B. Ellazam, Suicide Prevention Project Manager Switchboard Victoria (Inc),  Changing the Landscape Campaign, a national campaign calling on the healthcare sector and governments to take action towards a suicide prevention system where LGBTIQA+SB people are recognised, considered and supported.

Switchboard Victoria is proud to launch Changing the Landscape, a national campaign calling on the healthcare sector and governments to take action towards a suicide prevention system where LGBTIQA+SB people are recognised, considered and supported. This includes the national release of the Changing the Landscape Statement, a statement on the necessity of LGBTIQA+SB leadership and lived experience across all parts of Australian healthcare to achieve the highest attainable standards of suicide prevention for all LGBTIQA+SB people. 

Assistant Minister for Health and Aging, The Hon. Ged Kearney, MP, said “Present day and intergenerational homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination can only be described as stains on our society, and unfortunately they overflow and they spread into our health system, and the consequences are awful.” 

Switchboard CEO, Joe Ball, added “Cultural change is slow. LGBTIQA+SB people, our loved ones, families and communities continue to be subject to stigma, discrimination and vilification. These harms have profound effects and are directly linked with high rates of suicide and suicidal distress. We don’t have high rates of suicide because of who we are, but because of how we’ve been treated.” 

Switchboard Acting Director of Services, Anna Bernasochi, said “The idea for the Statement originated in 2019. We were sitting in a run down office, talking about LGBTIQA+SB suicide, asking ourselves ‘Who is going to do something about this? Who is going to see LGBTIQA+SB suicide prevention as a critical health intervention?’ We have the data, we have countless advocates sharing stories of immense pain and loss and yet it feels like no one is responding. We asked ourselves, ‘How do we get our systems to stand up for our lives?’ Five years later, almost to the date, we’re launching our campaign.”