Pride in our organisation
As a leading organisation for a leading city, we foster a workplace that is inclusive, safe and respectful. We strive to nurture a culture of individuality, diversity and belonging, which means offering support to our LGBTIQ communities and staff.
Pride Network
Our Pride Network launched in 2018. It brings together LGBTIQ employees and their allies who speak up so that people can bring their whole selves to work.
The group began informally a year earlier, during the national debate on marriage equality. It was a difficult time for LGBTIQ staff and allies, and the focus of the network at that time was to provide support. During this time, Council expressed firm support of marriage equality and advocated strongly for a ‘yes’ vote.
The Pride Network is an important voice for LGBTIQ people and their allies and ensures our workplace continues to be aware and engaged.
The group led the Pride Pledge, which asked all employees (regardless of whether they identify as LGBTIQ) to commit to speaking out and acting against homophobia, biphobia, intersexism and transphobia, and support their LGBTIQ colleagues. The majority of our workforce has taken the pledge so far and LGBTIQ awareness training is providing important education and understanding.
The Pride Network also fosters important external partnerships and is actively involved in key initiatives and events, having represented us at
Midsumma 2019, marched in the Pride March 2019 and helped raise the rainbow flag as part of
IDAHOBIT Day.
Events
Find out about small and large events happening for LGBTIQ communities in the City of Melbourne.
Join fellow readers to discuss books with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex or queer characters and themes. Runs on the fourth Monday of the month in the Activities Space at City Library from 6pm to 7pm.
A showcase for contemporary queer cinema from Australia and beyond. The largest queer film festival in the southern hemisphere screens in cinemas across Melbourne.
The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia calls on people across Australia to stand against discrimination and support our LGBTIQ mates, colleagues and families. IDAHOBIT Day takes place on 17 May.
Victoria's premier three-week LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural festival celebrates diversity and inclusion. It takes place in January and February across the city and is principally sponsored by City of Melbourne.
Resources
Get acquainted with LGBTIQ history and culture, check out a range of training and professional development materials, and apply for funding support.
Our libraries have an extensive collection of LGBTIQ resources, including fiction and non-fiction, graphic novels and children’s titles, and DVDs. The collection is inclusive and is not labelled: use search terms to find items in the
library catalogue.
If you represent a community organisation that provides a great service for LGBTIQ communities, you may be eligible for a Connected Communities grant from City of Melbourne.
As well as offering a range of health and wellbeing services, queerspace offers professional development for organisations who work with LGBTIQ+ people and their families.
Celebrate and protect equality in this new centre, which is under construction and set to open in mid-2020. The Victorian Pride Centre will bring the Victorian LGBTIQ communities together in a single space. A range of resources are already available online.
A handy guide that provides advice on the appropriate language to use when working with LBGTIQ communities. Developed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet for the Victorian public sector.
Support services
Switchboard offers peer-driven support services for LGBTIQA+ people, their families and allies, and counselling through its partner
QLife. For older LGBTI people, Switchboard’s
Out & About program supports intergenerational connection by connecting people with a friendly visitor.
A free social meet-up for carers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. A partnership between City of Melbourne,
queerspace and
Carers Victoria. Find
meet-up dates and locations that work for you.
queerspace is an LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service that offers counselling, peer support and professional development for organisations who work with LGBTIQ+ people and their families.
Australia’s oldest LGBTI health organisation and Victoria’s largest, Thorne Harbour Health in South Yarra offers a growing range of health services and programs aimed at various LGBTI communities.
Marriage equality
We were thrilled about the realisation of marriage equality on Thursday 7 December 2017. We actively advocated for marriage equality through this difficult time for our LGBTIQ friends and allies.
We supported the campaign for marriage equality well before the plebiscite. Council unanimously resolved in 2015 to support marriage equality and called on the Australian Government to legislate for it. Then in the months leading up to the vote,
we campaigned in support of marriage equality.
Council has also kept a
relationship declaration register since 2007, to recognise the relationship status of couples irrespective of gender.