National LGBTI Health Alliance

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National LGBTI Health Alliance
Formation 2007
Type NGO
Purpose Peak health body
Region served
Australia
Executive Director
Rebecca Reynolds
Website lgbtihealth.org.au

The National LGBTI Health Alliance is a peak health organisation for LGBT and intersex organisations in Australia. A not-for-profit company, it was established in August 2007.[1] The Alliance is currently chaired by Susan Ditter; Rebecca Reynolds is Executive Director.[2]

Key areas of activity

Key focus areas include ageing,[3] mental health, suicide prevention, intersex health, transgender health, and data collection.[4][5][6]

Ageing

The organisation led consultations on an inclusive aged care strategy for the Department of Health (Australia) that helped lead to the development of a national strategy.[3][7]

Intersex health

In 2013, the Alliance called for the implementation of the recommendations of a Senate Committee report on the 'Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of intersex people'. The Alliance had earlier made submissions and participated in a hearing on the issue.[8][9]

Mental health and suicide prevention

A major report on mental health and suicide prevention, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, was published in August 2011. The report found that "there are higher levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems in the LGBTI populations, with evidence suggesting attempted suicide is 3.5 to 14 times" higher.[10]

In September 2013, the Alliance joined a national campaign calling for a "National LGBTI Suicide Prevention Strategy", with the aim of halving suicide rates by 2023.[11]

Trans and intersex health issues

The Alliance launched a report on trans and intersex health issues at the federal Parliament House in November 2012.[12] With Organisation Intersex International Australia, the Alliance was also consulted by the Department of Health and Ageing leading to improvements in access to Medicare services, reported in July 2013.[13][14]

Health in Difference national conference

The Alliance organises a biannual conference, Health in Difference. The 2013 conference was held in Melbourne in April. Plenary sessions were recorded by Joy 94.9[15][16][17]

Executive director

In late 2013, Warren Talbot announced his resignation as executive director, due to health reasons, and Andrew Little was appointed as acting executive director. Rebecca Reynolds, formerly the manager of Twenty10 took up the position in February 2014.[2]

Member organisations

Member organisations include:

Affliations

The National LGBTI Health Alliance is a member of the Young and Well Co-operative Research Centre[18] and the National Coalition for Suicide Prevention.[19]

References

  1. About Us, National LGBTI Health Alliance, Australia
  2. 2.0 2.1 Reynolds to lead National LGBTI Health Alliance, Star Observer, 10 December 2013
  3. 3.0 3.1 Call to action as gays go grey, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 December 2012
  4. LGBTI Health Alliance Farewells Talbot, Star Observer, 5 November 2013
  5. International Intersex Awareness Day, Gay News Network, October 2012
  6. LGBTI groups hopeful of progress under Coalition, Gay News Network, 9 September 2013.
  7. National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Ageing and Aged Care Strategy, Department of Health (Australia), 15 March 2013
  8. New Report highlights gaps in Australia’s intersex health care, Gay News Network, 20 November 2013.
  9. Health Alliance calls for implementation of Intersex Report, LOTL.
  10. Media Release: LGBTI Alliance releases mental health report: shocked by mainstream services’ attitudes, National LGBTI Health Alliance, 15 August 2011.
  11. Leading groups join push for LGBTI suicide prevention strategy, Star Observer, 10 September 2013.
  12. Report identifies way forward for LGBTI health, Warren Entsch MP, 28 November 2012.
  13. Medicare is now sex and gender neutral, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 24 July 2013
  14. All Gender Discrimination to be Removed from Medicare, Joint Press Release, The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for Health, Minister for Medical Research and Senator The Hon Jan McLucas, Minister for Human Services, 24 July 2014
  15. LGBTI health under the spotlight, Star Observer, 11 April 2013
  16. Health in Difference, Joy 94.9
  17. Intersex health – Morgan Carpenter’s presentation to Health in Difference conference, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 22 April 2013
  18. Young and Well CRC - National LGBTI Health Alliance, Young and Well CRC
  19. National Coalition for Suicide Prevention, Suicide Prevention Australia, 2013.

External links