The Equality Project’s LGBTIQA+ Better Together conference was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 17 and 18 February 2023.

Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card were proud to again support the conference, which had a full and vibrant program of speakers and events. Nearly one hundred older people took up the Seniors Card offer to attend the conference at no cost.

The conference began with an early morning Smoking Ceremony conducted by Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna Elder, Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner on the banks of Karrawirra Parri, followed by a ‘Long Walk’ back across the Torrens footbridge to the Convention Centre.

The conference attracted more than 900 delegates representing Australia’s diverse LGBTIQA+ communities and organisations coming “together to share ideas and experiences, learn from each other, forge alliances and ultimately work together to build a better world for LGBTIQA+ Australians.”

The opening plenary MC’ed by self-described love child of Steady Eddie and Ru Paul, Wayne Herbert, introduced delegates to the range of speakers and subjects they would have the opportunity to hear from and learn about.

Jenny Scott, community delegate, reflected on the joy of catching up with old friends not seen since before COVID-19, that “much of the ‘work’ was done in side chats swapping contact details and making plans for future collaborations”.

Significantly in this vein was the ‘South Australian LGBTI+ organisations coming together better’ session, hosted by the South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA) and COTA SA Rainbow Hub. The second early morning start failed to dampen the enthusiasm of more than 60 South Australian delegates who gathered to “share our plans, issues, advocacy matters and ideas for closer collaboration and support.”

Jenny said, “After two amazing days and a concluding concert performance by the outstanding ‘ABBA The Museum The Choir’ from Sweden it was a wrap and we went our separate ways, both exhausted and invigorated by the experience.”

Further information about the conference is available at www.theequalityproject.org.au.

Photo credit: Abba The Museum The Choir, Jenny Scott