The Informer

The Informer brings you a recording of one of the final panels of the fourth annual LGBTIQ Women’s Health conference, held earlier this year in Melbourne, presented by Thorne Harbour Health and ACON. The panel shone a spotlight on the experiences of LGBTIQ women sex workers, and addressed the need for the decriminalisation of sex work.

 

This episode of The Informer was hosted by Dylan Joel and aired on July 24th, 2018.

Globally one million people died from AIDS related illnesses last year. And more than one in ten new HIV infections globally are still in gay and bisexual men.

On the eve of the AIDS2018 Conference in Amsterdam and fours years on from the AIDS2014 meeting in Melbourne, where the promise was “nobody left behind”, a major report has concluded that the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic globally is at risk of “dangerous complacency”.

The authors warn that HIV rates persist in global populations of gay and bisexual men and trans people and an urgent change in approach is needed.

Ian Muchamore spoke to one of the study authors Professor Sharon Lewin, the Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Richard Keane, CEO of Living Positive Victoria to find out more.

Tonight on the show we are talking to Andrea Waling from Latrobe university as she discusses a new study being launched to gain a deeper understanding of the way the LGBTI communities utilise crisis services, such as lifeline.

 

We also talk to Michelle Shepherd and Anastasia Le about an up and coming initiative called The REAL Big hug, which aims to bring the LGBTIQ community together in solidarity and love, after last years plebiscite.

 

We then wrap up with a flash back to the Thorne Harbour Health and Acon, LGBTIQ women’s conference last week, as Miranda Sparks from JOY’s own gender agenda speaks to Debbie Brennan from Radical Women Australia.

Tonight on the informer we showcase some highlights of the fourth annual LGBTIQ Women’s Health Conference held in Melbourne.

Tonight we look at bisexuality and issues faced by bi women, including bi visibility, safe spaces for bi women, and mental health amongst bisexual women.

This includes excerpts from a panel discussion: “Gay, straight, or lying: Bisexual women in lesbian spaces”. Moderated by Sally Goldner, with speakers including Rebecca Dominguez, Jane Green, Jess Olivo, and Ruby Mountford.

This episode of The Informer aired on Tuesday July 17th 2018, and was hosted by Dylan Joel.

From today all Australians have two months, until October 14th, to take action on whether they opt out of the national electronic health records system known as My Health Record.

The electronic health records system has been in existence for several years but previously required specific patient opt-in and agreement for their information to be shared across their doctors and health care providers.

That default is about to change, with Australian’s key health information from GP visits, prescriptions, test results and imaging data such as x-rays to be made available in one secure electronic record – when you most need it. That is the proposed benefit but there are real concerns about privacy for the LGTBI community and how the reformed system will work in practice.

Tonight, in this special edition of The Informer, we hear from community about what they see as the benefits and concerns and how this impacts all of us. Whilst My Health Record might improve our health services it also raises concerns about who knows what about our sensitive health information.

Ian Muchamore speaks with Kent Burgess, Head of Services at Thorne Harbour Health about what My Health Record means for the community. He then speaks with Joshua Badge, an Academic at Deakin University on specific community concerns, and finally he speaks with Meredith Makeham, the Chief Medical Advisor of the Australian Digital Health Agency, the agency responsible for the rollout.

Tonight’s special report covers the launch of the new national electronic health records system known as My Health Record, and the benefits and concerns for the LGBTI community.

In the final part of our special report, Ian Muchamore speaks to Meredith Makeham, the Chief Medical Advisor of the Australian Digital Health Agency

Tonight’s special report covers the launch of the new national electronic health records system known as My Health Record, and the benefits and concerns for the LGBTI community.

As Ian Muchamore speaks with Joshua Badge an academic at Deakin University.

Joshua speaks to some specific concerns about My Health Record and the impact it may have on people living with HIV, sex workers, and those who use illicit drugs.

Tonight’s special report covers the launch of the new national electronic health records system known as My Health Record, and the benefits and concerns for the LGBTI community.

Ian Muchamore begins this special report by to Kent Burgess, Head of Services at Thorne Harbour Health, about what My Health Record means for the community

On this episode of The Informer we head to the LGBTIQ Women’s Health Conference that began in Melbourne. The fourth annual conference is proudly co-presented by Thorne Harbour Health and ACON and aims to create safer spaces to strengthen the health and wellbeing of all LBQ women, including Aboriginal women and Sistagirls, women of colour, women with disabilities, trans, gender diverse and intersex women.

This week is also NAIDOC Week, with celebrations and events held across Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Not only in Indigenous communities, but across all of Australia, from all walks of life.

The theme of NAIDOC this year is ‘Because of Her, We Can!’, celebrating the essential role that women have played – and continue to play – as active and significant role models at the community, local, state and national levels.

Tonight on this episode The Informer, NAIDOC week and the LGBTIQ Women’s Health Conference intersect, as we hear the stories and experiences of indigenous sistagirl Elytta Adelaide Manton also known as Lismores Lilly, as well as hear from the panel discussion on Aboriginal Voices from the LGBTIQ Women’s Health Conference.

This episode of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 & was hosted by Tom Morgan

At the close of today’s LGBTI Womens Health Conference, there was a brilliant panel discussion titled Aboriginal Voices with Nazree Dickerson, Dodie Eggmolesse, Esther Montgomery and Jackie Stewart facilitated by Allison Toby

Alison opened the panel by asking, being indigenous in any space is pretty hard, but what can we learn from our history of addressing LGBTIQ visibility in aboriginal and Torres strait islander communities, what works and what do you think doesn’t?

Here are some of the panels answers to that first question.

We will have a full podcast of that, and other panels from the LGBTI Womens Health Conference up on the JOY website soon.

Though we are heading towards the end of NAIDOC week, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate, respect and listen to the voices, stories and history of the Indigenous and Torres Straight Island communities. And if you aren’t making space for their stories, it’s time to think about why!

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94,9 on 12th July 2018 & was hosted by Tom Morgan.