The rights of the rainbow community will be at the centre of a free forum, hosted by COTA SA’s Rainbow Hub, launching the new Rainbow Rights toolkit, in partnership with Office for Ageing Well.
Members of the LGBTI+ community, service providers and allies of all ages are invited to attend.
Rainbow Rights in Action Forum. Image: supplied.
Broadcaster and journalist Julie McCrossin AM will emcee and tease out the issues of particular relevance to the rainbow community with a panel of experts and people with lived experience. Guest speakers will include SA Commissioner for Equal Opportunity Jodeen Carney, lawyer Robert Lempens, trans activist and archivist Jenny Scott, and end-of-life doula Shannon Beresford.
Audience members will hear strategies for asserting their rights, those of a friend or other community members, including topics such as overcoming discrimination, housing, health and planning ahead, and learn more about resources available.
It’s 30 years since homosexual acts were decriminalised across Australia. LGBTI+ people continue to need to know and assert their rights, as well as work towards extending them, while also celebrating a proud history of activism and solidarity.
As LGBTI+ people grow older, they are less likely than the general population to access intergenerational and family support which is the source of much advocacy when accessing health and care services. This is due to LGBTI+ people being more likely to be single, childless and no longer in contact with their biological family. They are also seven times more likely to live alone and be impacted by the compounding effects of dealing with discrimination and lack of tailored services.
Through its ongoing engagement with older LGBTI+ people, COTA SA believes that continuing to develop LGBTI+ communities is the best insurance for safeguarding members of the rainbow community. This includes:
- Building capacity of both individuals and community to have confidence in exercising their rights and sharing peer know-how.
- Drawing on cultural strengths in the LGBTI+ community of solidarity and resilience.
- Supporting individuals in community who will be more likely to seek and/or accept help if they are less isolated.
- Challenging notions of ageism, including caring as a burden, and instead valuing interdependence across generations.
Rainbow Rights in Action Forum. Image: supplied.
The Rainbow Rights toolkit will help develop the LGBTI+ community to understand and action their rights, including in the later stages of their lives, and build awareness amongst the people who will be part of their choices, supports and care.
The event will include light refreshments, networking opportunities and lucky door prizes. Car parking at the venue is free and is conveniently located close to public transport.
Supported by Office for Ageing Well, SA Health, this project aligns with Future Directions to Safeguard the Rights of Older South Australians 2023-2027.
WHEN: 3:00 – 6:00pm, Thursday 20 June
WHERE: Adelaide Pavilion, corner South Terrace and Peacock Rd, Adelaide, Kaurna Country
BOOK: for catering by 12 June here via Eventix or call 08 8232 0422.
For updates, go to www.facebook.com/rainbowhubsa or visit www.cotasa.org.au.