It’s IDAHOBIT 2021! Show your support for our LGBTIQ+ community
Monday 17 May is International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). Launched in 2004 to celebrate LGBTIQ+ people globally, it marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization’s 1990 removal of the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder.
The LGBTIQ+ community comprises an estimated 11 percent of Australia’s population. While many are supported and celebrated by family, peers and the general community, there is still work to be done to ensure that all LGBTIQ+ people feel secure, respected and a true sense of belonging, both at home and in society.
Unfortunately, stigma, prejudice and discrimination means that LGBTIQ+ communities experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than the general population. Recent studies also show that more than six in 10 LGBTQ+ people in Australia have experienced family violence. So it’s more important than ever to stand up for equality, both at Deakin and in the wider community.
Help us celebrate IDAHOBIT 2021
Join us for a campus morning tea
Learn more about LGBITQ+ issues while enjoying some yummy treats at DUSA’s IDAHOBIT morning teas. DUSA representatives will be handing out rainbow cupcakes and answering any questions you have.
When: Monday 17 May, 10.30am
- Burwood: main staging area on Morgan’s Walk
- Waurn Ponds: DUSA Student Lounge
- Waterfront, DUSA Student Lounge
- Warrnambool: Brother Fox.
Get active
DeakinACTIVE is committed to providing welcoming, safe and inclusive spaces for our LGBTQI+ peers and allies. To celebrate IDAHOBIT, we invite you to:
- visit the gym and work out for free from 9–11am at Burwood or Waurn Ponds, or from 10–11am at Warrnambool
- attend our free low-intensity and fun group fitness class at 9.30am at Burwood or Waurn Ponds
- join our 5.15pm yoga class at Burwood for free (also accessible online via Facebook Live).
If you’d like to attend your campus gym for free during these times, all you’ll need to do is complete a casual user form when you arrive at the gym.
Educate and empower yourself and others
Visit the Deakin LGBTIQ+ website for a range of health and wellbeing support and resources. You’ll also be able to watch some short videos, including chats with:
- Deakin staff member Andrew Strachan speaking about lived experience as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community
- Deakin Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) representative Kate Towart
- Dr Amie O’Shea, an academic who has conducted studies in the intersections of people from the LGBTIQ+ community and people with disability, and Greg Axtens, a member of the LGBTIQ+ community who lives with disability.
As part of its ‘Pride, Respect, Equality’ campaign, Respect Victoria has some great information and resources on how to support LGBTIQ+ loved ones.
You can also download a range of free resources from the IDAHOBIT website, including Zoom backgrounds, signs and posters, as well as discover other ways to support LGBTIQ+ equality.
We stand with our LGBTIQ+ community
As a University community, we set strong standards of behaviour and we all have a responsibility to address unacceptable attitudes and behaviours. We recognise the rights of our LGBTIQ+ students and staff to learn, live and work free of prejudice and discrimination, and with all the essential freedoms enjoyed by other members of our University community and the broader population.
There’s a range of LGBTIQ+ support at Deakin, so learn more about what help is available. You can also become a member of our LGBTIQ+ community by emailing [email protected].
And did you know that we have a gender affirmation policy, which clearly outlines how we support anyone from Deakin who is undergoing, or considering undergoing, a gender affirmation? If you need some support, find out more about what help is available to you.
If you ever need someone to talk to, Deakin’s Counselling and Psychological Support (CAPS) service is safe, respectful and inclusive. Our highly skilled counsellors and social workers are here to help all students.
Deakin pledges to never stay silent about homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. We will always stand with our LGBTIQ+ students and staff. We are part of the solution.