June is Pride Month, and it is a moment worth pausing on.
This is the month we remember the birth of the global movement for LGBTIQASB+ equality, and the Pride marches that grew out of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Around the world, events like the Sydney Pride Festival now run throughout June to lift up voices, celebrate culture, and protect the human rights of LGBTIQASB+ communities. It is a time to raise awareness and to remember the pioneers who fought for equality, even when doing so put their own safety and freedom at real risk.
It also feels like the right time to talk about care, because the people who built that movement are ageing, and many of them rely on disability and aged care services today.
So, we want to share two courses we are proud of.
For disability support professionals
Our disability course teaches you how to provide person-centred, gender-affirming support for LGBTIQASB+ participants. You will discover what the term LGBTIQASB+ represents, where the acronym comes from, and why language and specific terminology matter so much. Using the Genderbread Unicorn analogy, we break down gender identity and expression, along with related ideas like sex assigned at birth and attraction. We also explore intersectionality and how it shapes the way LGBTIQASB+ participants access important social and medical supports. Finally, you will learn how Disability Support Professionals can help participants connect and feel included within both their LGBTIQASB+ and their disability communities.
We were lucky enough to work with Daniel Witthaus, Founder and CEO of Rural Pride Australia, to build this course, and we are very glad we did.
Daniel has spent 28 years challenging homophobia and growing LGBTIQA+ inclusion one cuppa at a time, in schools, rural communities, and occasionally in countries like Poland, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. His work spans Kids Helpline, VicHealth, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and No to Violence, a national men’s family violence organisation. For the last eight years, Rural Pride Australia has partnered with the Victorian State Government and its Commissioners for LGBTIQ+ Communities to deliver the LGBTIQ+ Equality Roadshow, Regional Communities of Practice, and the Rainbow Ready Roadmap across 29 regional and rural Victorian communities. We feel privileged to have such a knowledgeable human as our subject matter expert.
For aged care staff
Our aged care course was crafted by Brooke Dunn, a Perth-based educator and advocate working at the intersection of peer support and inclusive training. Brooke works part-time in Education and Peer Support with Queer and Diverse Pathways Pty Ltd, and serves as a Training Facilitator with TransFolk of WA, where she delivers training on gender diversity. Through both roles, she is committed to building understanding, inclusion, and safer spaces for LGBTIQA+ communities.
The course gives aged care staff the language, knowledge, and practical skills to provide genuinely inclusive care. It builds the foundations of inclusive language and terminology, unpacks the difference between sex, gender and sexual orientation along with common myths, and explores the lived experiences of ageing LGBTIQASB+ people, from identity harm and social isolation to discrimination, health concerns and trauma. By understanding how histories of stigma, criminalisation and exclusion have eroded trust in aged care, staff learn why compassion, cultural safety, and awareness matter so much. The course then finishes with concrete strategies for delivering inclusive, trauma-informed, rights-based care. The result is a team that feels more confident, and a service where every older person feels they belong.
This course will be released very soon! Stay tuned!
Make this Pride Month count!
This June, you can gain the understanding, awareness, and allyship to better support the people in your care. Use the buttons above to access our courses, and see further resources below:
🌈 Support and peer resources
- QLife: Call 1800 184 527 (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily) for anonymous, free, Australia-wide LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral.
- Queerspace: Specialised LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing services, plus family support. Visit the website.
- Lifeline: Available 24/7. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, or visit www.lifeline.org.au for online chat and self-management resources.
⚖️ Advocacy
Equality Australia: For information, resources, and to support community protections and legislative advocacy, visit Equality Australia.
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Author: Amanda Robinson BA, MMHealthPrac,
As Head of Learning and Development and a seasoned NDIS expert, Amanda drives capability and sustainability in the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, post-graduate qualifications in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and currently pursuing an MBA, she brings deep expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A devoted carer, Amanda champions Human Rights, working to dismantle stigma and barriers for individuals with disability and mental health challenges. She is passionate about building robust stakeholder relationships, leveraging her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analysis skills.
