VAC welcomes the Victorian Government’s announcement of $15 million towards a Pride Centre for the state’s LGBTI communities

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) welcomes the news today that the Victorian Government
will be contributing $15 million towards a Pride Centre in Melbourne, designed and purpose-built to house
LGBTI community organisations.
Minister for Equality Martin Foley made the announcement as part of a suite of funding initiatives for
LGBTI communities, including a fully-funded business case for the Pride Centre.
“It is fantastic to see the government commit such a significant amount of money to a project as important
as the Pride Centre. It’s been a long time since the state government has funded infrastructure to support
LGBTI communities in Victoria,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.
“We’ve been discussing the concept of a Pride Centre with Minister Foley and Commissioner Allen since
their appointments under the Andrews Government, and we’ll be delighted to work with the government
on furthering the project.”
Ruth continued: “I’ve spent time at similar centres in San Francisco and New York and I’ve seen how those
spaces can become hubs for LGBTI communities. We have some incredible LGBTI community organisations
in Victoria, and it’s so important to have the autonomy of an LGBTI-run space where we can come together
and support each other, as well as provide a safe, welcoming space for our community members.”
In August last year VAC sold the Peter Knight Centre, the organisation’s main site in South Yarra, and is
currently in the process of looking for a new location. Alongside VAC, the Centre also houses the Australian
Lesbian and Gay Archives (ALGA) and the AIDS Memorial Quilt Project, and a number of other LGBTI
community organisations meet regularly in the building.
“As part of the relocation process we’ve been speaking with other LGBTI community organisations about
how we might share space,” said Ruth.
“We will have to move and it’s good to be having these discussions as a community, but ultimately each
organisation is going to have to make its own decisions about what’s best for them and for the communities
we serve.”
VAC President Chad Hughes said the organisation looks forward to reviewing the feasibility study into the
Pride Centre commissioned by the government last year.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the feasibility study the government commissioned from PwC last year,
and once that study is released our board will be in a better position to look at how VAC could be involved
in the Pride Centre,” Hughes said.
“As an organisation we have some complex needs—with the services we run and the work we do we’re
the largest LGBTI community organisation in Victoria. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to
finding a suitable new location.”