Saturday Magazine

24 Oct 2024

Saturday 19th October, 2024: Joe Ball, Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities and Brenda Appleton – Trans: Seniors Week

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Saturday 19th October, 2024: Joe Ball, Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities and Brenda Appleton – Trans: Seniors Week

Macca and Madeleine are joined live in the studio by Joe Ball, Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities and Brenda Appleton – Trans: Seniors Week.

Brenda retired in 2009 after 35 years working in the corporate sector and is heavily involved volunteering with a wide range of community groups, including the LGBTQIA+ communities in Melbourne (for more than 25 years).

Brenda was the chair of Transgender Victoria until 2021, and stepped down in 2019, after two terms as the co-chair of the LGBTIQ Taskforce set up by the Victorian Government. Brenda has been a member of the Victoria Mental Health Taskforce, the Senior Victorians Advisory Committee, the NWMPHN Suicide Prevention Taskforce and the Victorian Elder Abuse Roundtable. Brenda served three years on The Pinnacle Foundation Board and was appointed as an ambassador in 2021.

Brenda is enthusiastic about using her lived experience to improve the health and wellbeing of trans and gender diverse people across Victoria. She was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017 and in 2018 received a Victoria Senior of the Year award.

Brenda is a retired chartered accountant. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Sustainable Practice, and GAICD, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in January 2019. Brenda was awarded the Voltaire Human Rights Award for 2022 by Liberty Victoria.

Joe is the outgoing CEO of Switchboard Victoria. There, he played a pivotal role in creating the Rainbow Door helpline for family violence and mental health support.

He is part of the Expert Advisory Group for the Federal Government’s 10-year LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing Plan.

In his new role as Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, Joe will work to support the rights, safety, and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer, and asexual communities.

The Commissioner plays a leading role in implementing the Pride in our future strategy. The strategy is the Victorian Government’s 10-year plan for LGBTIQA+ equality. It involves all parts of the government. The Commissioner will help to engage and activate government, sectors, and the community to ensure its implementation.

During a time of increasing discrimination against LGBTIQA+ and other marginalised communities, the Commissioner’s role is even more important. He will work with communities and allies to ensure there are culturally safe and accessible supports in place.’