Strategic Plan Update: May 2025

05 May 2025
As we move through 2025, we continue to drive real progress on our Towards 2030 Strategic Plan. Every goal we meet is in service of a stronger, healthier future for our LGBTIQ+ communities and people living with HIV.
With dangerous setbacks to healthcare rights both in Queensland and further abroad in the United States, we must protect what we’ve won while remaining focused on areas where we can progress. Here's a snapshot of how we’re delivering on our shared goals:
Expanding the Reach and Impact of our Programs
In line with our goal to expand service delivery across Australia, we’ve further extended our reach in South Australia. Our newly launched Family Violence Service in Adelaide is providing specialised support to LGBTIQA+ people impacted by violence — a crucial step in meeting unmet needs in our communities and bringing equitable healthcare to both states where we operate services.
At the same time, our Silver Rainbow Training in Adelaide is helping aged care providers create safer, more inclusive environments for older LGBTIQA+ people. Both these new services strengthen our footprint and make affirming support accessible to more people, wherever they live.
Exercise Trusted Leadership
Advocating for a fairer, healthier future remains central to our work, and protecting access to universal healthcare is part of that. Thorne Harbour Health is proudly backing a petition to the Victorian Parliament, urging the government to protect universal healthcare from discrimination. Through this petition, we’re encouraging the Legislative Council to call on the Federal Government to protect trans and gender diverse access to healthcare across the country.
As outlined in our plan, trusted leadership means being a fearless advocate for systems that are equitable, inclusive, and designed for everyone, and we’ll continue to defend those principles wherever they are challenged.
Developing Our Communities
Strengthening community connections is fundamental to the health and resilience of our communities. Through our new program, Pride and Culture, we’re celebrating the diversity of LGBTIQ+ identities across cultural and spiritual backgrounds — building spaces where people feel seen and heard.
These initiatives directly advance our strategic commitment to develop our communities by creating inclusive opportunities for belonging and connection, particularly for those whose experiences of marginalisation are compounded by racism or religious exclusion.
Building a Robust and Adaptable Organisation
Building a sustainable organisation means securing diverse, reliable sources of funding to future-proof our services. From expanding CONNECT — our HIV self-test vending machines — to a national scale, to launching a new health promotion campaign on vaping, growing our LGBTIQ+ mental health training offerings, establishing new financial counselling services, and investing in research through Prostate Pride, each of these projects reflects strategic diversification.
These projects ensure we are not only responding to today’s needs but also building the infrastructure to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Delivering on our goal to develop organisational resilience, we are strengthening our ability to adapt and sustain our work well into the future.
Looking Forward
As we move further into 2025 we have several more major projects on the horizon, including the return of Northside Bizarre, our legendary kink-inspired fundraiser. After a six-year hiatus, the beloved street festival is back, raising vital funds for many of our services and meeting several of our strategic goals.
Stay connected with Thorne Harbour via our newsfeed and social media to keep up with all our updates.
In other news
08 Aug 2025
Lessons in Leather from Thorne Harbour Health
Keen on kink? Here’s how to build your leather collectionLeather is everywhere – at the club, at Pride, and in your treasured collection of Tom of Finland work. Most recently, you could find racks full of leather at The Laird in celebration of A Week of Leather (AWOL) 2025, where dozens of people donated leather gear to fundraise for Thorne Harbour Health. In honour of leather and the people who love it, we’ve created a guide for those interested in exploring their kinky side, complete with a brief history of leather subculture, expert styling tips for beginners, and info on how you can score cheaper leather gear while supporting a good cause. Read on to learn more!
22 Jul 2025
Introducing Medicare-Subsidised Counselling
Thorne Harbour Health is proud to launch Under the Rainbow, our new Medicare-subsidised counselling service. At just $50 per session, this new offering expands on our existing free mental health counselling, helping us support more members of our LGBTIQA+ communities. We have a new dedicated psychologist available for this program.