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News

28 Mar 2018

VAC Newsletter - Autumn 2018

From PrEP to pool parties, Mooning to meningococcal — the latest edition of the VAC newsletter has heaps of photos, recaps, and updates on the latest goings on around VAC and the LGBTI communities we serve. Be sure to check out the Community Calendar on the back page.A special thanks to our growing army of volunteer Content Creators who have written some great articles for this edition. Be sure to have a read of what they've created.Download the online version here!Photo: VAC Queer Party by Mel Butters

20 Nov 2017

2017 VAC Annual General Meeting

During this year's Annual General Meeting, Life Membership was awarded to:Emeritus Professor Anne Mitchell AO - for her extensive work in community development and as an adult educator with over twenty years of experience in the field of sexual health.Brian Price - for his leadership in the establishment of service models that are vital for people living with HIV and those at high risk of HIV infection.Associate Professor Ruth McNair - for her work as a clinician and researcher in lesbian and bisexual women’s mental health, sexual health, and cultural issues related to alcohol and smoking in LGBTI communities.In addition, we presented the following awards:President's Award: Human Rights Law Centre -The passionate staff of the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) work tirelessly to end LGBTI discrimination in the law and to protect and promote the rights of LGBTI people.Greig Friday Young Leader Award: Margot Fink - As one of the first members of our Trans and Gender Diverse Advisory Group, Margot provided key advice in establishing Equinox. She was also the former Head of Gender Diverse Projects for Minus18 and their communications coordinator when they were under attack by media scrutinising the Safe Schools program.Media Award: James Hancock - At the ABC, James has given voice to some of the marginalised communities we work with and raised the profile of critical gaps in LGBTI service provision and healthcare.Special Service Award: Associate Professor Edwina Wright - As an infectious diseases physician and clinical researcher at the Alfred Hospital and the Burnet Institute, Edwina has a strong interest in HIV-associated neurological disorders, and she is leading the PrEPX demonstration project.Special Service Award: Dean Arcuri - Radio presenter, photographer, journalist, performer — Dean wears several hats in our community and with a large portion of his work being on a volunteer basis, his tireless efforts have made our community a richer one.Special Service Award: Dimitri Christou - Initially volunteering in HIV peer support, Dimitri has engaged with almost every aspect of our volunteer program. With lived experience and a thorough understanding of HIV, he has turned his attention to HIV prevention roles.Special Service Award: Kelly McGowan - Since 2013, Kelly has provided invaluable support for World AIDS Day ribbons each year. Kelly and her team have produced over 30,000 red ribbons, nearly one year’s stock!We also released our 2016/2017 Annual Report featuring a collection of portraits featuring community members with 'if' statements that reflect on the discrimination and stigma faced by LGBTI people and PLHIV around the globe. You can check out the latest issue and previous annual reports here.

21 Sep 2017

VAC Newsletter - Spring 2017

With the marriage equality survey underway, our community is keeping incredibly active at the moment. This issue of the VAC newsletter looks at some of the ways we've been taking action and how you can look after your wellbeing. We also look back at our third annual Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Women's Health Conference, co-presented with ACON, and look forward to the 25th Anniversary of the Victorian Red Ribbon in the lead up to World AIDS Day. There's plenty more in this edition so check it out!

3 Aug 2017

Joint Statement Opposing the Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2017

“LGBTI communities are disproportionately impacted by drug use. The criminalisation of personal possession and use of drugs is counterproductive, adds to stigma and discrimination within these populations, and doesn’t recognise that substance abuse is a health problem that no amount of law enforcement can fix.” - VAC CEO Simon Ruth

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Media Releases

28 Apr 2018

New Campaign Aims to Shift LBQ Drinking Culture in Regional Victoria

Lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women in regional Victoria will be supported to re-think their relationship with alcohol thanks to a new project by Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) and health promotion foundation VicHealth.The ReThink the Drink project will be launched at this year’s Bendigo Queer Film Festival, April 27-28 and is the first of its kind addressing alcohol culture change amongst LBQ women in Victoria.ReThink the Drink seeks to inspire alcohol culture change amongst LBQ women living in regional Victoria. Studies have shown LBQ women engage in risky drinking behaviours at higher levels than their heterosexual counterparts.The project includes a print and digital campaign that calls for women to share their story online.The campaign, which uses the tagline ‘Couldn’t Have Done That with a Hangover!’, was developed with LBQ women, who asked for a motivational and positive approach.“The approach has been driven by lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in regional Victoria who have helped design how this campaign looks and feels. We need to work together if we’re going to tackle alcohol culture change amongst these communities,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.“We’re very excited to see this campaign roll out and start an important conversation with those regional communities about the impact alcohol is having on their lives.”VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said Rethink the Drink is an important step in increasing social support for low-risk drinking among some LBQ women.“Our vision is to see people supporting one another to reduce risky drinking, resulting in reduced harm for the individual, their family, people in the vicinity, and the broader community,” Ms Rechter said.“Rethink the Drink is about showing how risky drinking can hold us back from doing the things we love. Life really is better without the hangovers.”ReThink the Drink will be rolled out in Ballarat, Geelong, Morwell, and Bendigo and is part of VicHealth’s Alcohol Change Initiative.

29 Jan 2018

VAC mourns the loss of passionate harm reduction giant Jenny Kelsall

Longstanding advocate for harm reduction approaches to drug use, Jenny Kelsall, passed on Saturday marking the loss of dedicated community leader with an extensive career that contributed to the development of programs and services that support the community response to HIV and other blood borne viruses.Most recently, Jenny served as the Executive Officer for Harm Reduction Victoria where she encouraged safer drug use and empowered drug users to find solutions and strategies for the better part of the past decade. Prior to that, she served for several years as part of a multi-discipline research team at the Burnet Institute, a team who was the first to identify a hepatitis C epidemic among people who inject drugs in Australia.Having worked closely with Jenny over the years, VAC President Chad Hughes was saddened by the news and acknowledged her incredible contribution.“Jenny was completely dedicated to the people she served. She committed herself tirelessly to ensuring evidence based harm reduction was available to people who use drugs both here in Victoria, and elsewhere. She was incredibly bright and steadfast in her advocacy fighting for the health and welfare rights of the community,” he said.“She demonstrated how, by opening her heart and making personal sacrifices, she could make a tremendous contribution that benefited the lives of many. I’m a better person for knowing her — as are countless others.”Her legacy includes an incredible portfolio of peer-based research and education initiatives across Australia and Asia in the areas of HIV, viral hepatitis & injecting drug use spanning over nearly three decades.VAC CEO Simon Ruth said, “Jenny’s legacy serves as a reminder of the strength of a community-led response in the face of Herculean challenges such as HIV and viral hepatitis. Her collaborative approach ceaselessly worked toward bringing drug law and national policies in line with public health objectives.”

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