For years, Sally Conning felt like she had to hide her identity.
Born in the 1950s, she says it was a family secret that was pushed under the carpet and not spoken about at all . There was no support and it was never acknowledged as a family unit,” she told SBS News.
“We struggled along with that.”
Sally Conning and her sister Manika.
SBS News/Catherine Barrett
Just months shy of turning 70, Ms Conning identifies as female with a trans history. She says growing up, there was little support.
“I was hiding, and I was suicidal because I was so alone,” she said.
VIC Premier
Victorians are being encouraged to back and celebrate their LGBTIQ+ family members and call out harmful stereotypes and discrimination – in a powerful new awareness campaign backed by the Andrews Labor Government.
The Respect Victoria ‘
Pride, Respect, Equality’ campaign launches today to highlight the importance of family support in preventing all forms of family violence and abuse against LGBTIQ+ Victorians.
The campaign includes the real-life stories of Victorian families who love, respect and support each other as a call to action for all of us with LGBTIQ+ loved ones.
In Australia, more than six in 10 LGBTIQ+ people will have experienced family violence, with perpetrators most likely to be parents or siblings.
A groundbreaking campaign is exploding the silence around LGBTIQ family violence
SatSaturday 10
AprApril 2021 at 7:00pm I hope in my and my mum s story people who may be estranged from their family can see there s hope things can change, said Sage Akouri.
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Sage Akouri was attending an all-girls school in Melbourne when, at age 14, they first came out as gay to their strict Lebanese parents not that they wanted to.
At the time, Sage was in the early stages of privately exploring their sexuality with a close friend when their father installed a recording device on the home phone, so he could listen back to Sage s calls.
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Respect Victoria has commissioned a new report which has revealed the discrimination and inequalities faced by LGBTIQ+ Australians were grossly inflated during the pandemic.
The research was undertaken last June and September by Drummond Street’s Centre for Family Research and Evaluation in partnership with The Gender And Disaster Pod.
LGBTIQ+ Australians felt increasingly isolated during the pandemic.
Getty
It revealed young LGBTIQ+ and gender diverse Australians were particularly vulnerable, with some reporting having to move back into their family homes as a result of financial struggles.
“What we heard from is that there s a lot of young people who ve had to move home, as a result of the pandemic and job losses that they ve experienced,” General Manager at CFRE Beth McCann said.
Slater + Gordon launches new campaign via The Shannon Company
January 6, 2021 11:17
A car accident has become a point of reflection for a woman on her a journey of recovery, with assistance from a Slater + Gordon lawyer, in the firm’s latest campaign.
The ad showcases the range of services Slater + Gordon provides, from digital consultations, in-person meetings, and online profiles that enable customers to choose the lawyer that best suits them.
The Shannon Company creative director, Stuart Nightingale, explained how the new campaign was a change in direction for Slater + Gordon.
“The campaign stands out as being strongly positive in a category that’s more known for its drama and use of fear and negativity around injury and loss,” he said.