Here For Health Always: Celebrating 40 Years of ACON

From the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, to being Australia’s leading HIV and sexuality and gender diverse health organisation today — ACON is celebrating 40 phenomenal years of health, action, care and community.

Few of the courageous people who in 1985 founded ACON – then known as the AIDS Council of NSW – in a time of crisis and an environment of fear could have envisioned the all-encompassing health organisation it is today as it marks its 40th anniversary.

As the outbreak of HIV spread throughout the early 1980s, claiming lives and devastating LGBTQIA+ communities across Australia, ACON quickly took on the role of offering leadership, guidance and support to a community desperately attempting to navigate the uncertain landscape the virus had forced upon it.

Four decades later, ACON is preparing to mark the anniversary milestone with the ACON 40 Community Launch at the Sydney Town Hall on August 22, with a range of events across the following months.

President Justin Koonin says this is a time to commemorate and remember the people who came together to create an organisation that changed lives since the day it opened.

“This is a story of celebration, of how much can be achieved when a community works together against what would have seemed almost insurmountable odds throughout the 1980s and ‘90s,” he says.

“All ACON achieved throughout that time, and how it has evolved since, is an achievement worth celebrating. One side of turning 40 is looking back to pay respect to all that went before, but the other is to look ahead to see what the organisation can be into the future.”

Community rallied together, and ACON was born

When the AIDS crisis swept Australia and the world in the 1980s, it was a time of loss and grief. With life-saving treatments well over a decade away, it was also a time that for many posed little hope.

Various community groups rallied together to provide care and support for people living with HIV, to educate about risk reduction and safe-sex, and lobby governments for funding and resources. It was at a community meeting in February 1985 at the NSW Teachers Federation that the organisations agreed to form ACON, under a banner bearing the motto ‘Fighting For Our Lives’.

Several months later, on 18 August, ACON was formally incorporated as an organisation, marking the beginning of a journey fighting for health, rights, care, action and community. 

As the epidemic spread, so did the organisation’s range of programs, advocacy and presence, like the ‘Make AZT Available’ rally, contributing to Australia’s first National AIDS Strategy, and establishing branches in regional New South Wales. 

ACON also led the way with an extensive range of ground-breaking sexual health campaigns, as well as peer-led education programs like Fun & Esteem.

Anti-retroviral therapy: a turning point for community and ACON

A turning point arrived in the mid-1990s when ACON played a significant role in early trials of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) medications, which offered effective life-saving treatments to people living with HIV.

“That was such a tumultuous time because as we had more people living longer with HIV, ACON’s client base was getting bigger, and responding to the pandemic became much more complex,” says Stevie Clayton, ACON’s CEO from 2000 to 2012.

“This created the right environment for ACON to start broadening LGBTQIA+ programs to address a wider range of issues and get more people engaging with the organisation.”

Such issues included women’s health, domestic and family violence, drugs and alcohol, community safety, mental health and First Nations health. To reflect this expansion, in 2007 the name changed from the traditional AIDS Council of NSW to simply ACON.

“Once we made that decision to become that broader organisation, we looked at what all the research was telling us, and found a huge amount of unmet needs,” Clayton says.

“The first step was deciding what kind of resources we could deliver and how to build a wide range of specific programs.”

In doing so, ACON strengthened its position as Australia’s preeminent sexuality and gender diverse health and wellbeing organisation, which not only catered to community needs but also became a powerful advocacy force dealing with both state and federal governments.

Julie Mooney-Somers, an ACON board member for over a decade, recalls the changing nature of ACON during this era as “dynamic”.

“It didn’t feel like anything I had seen before from a health organisation,” she says.

“ACON had grown into this place with great confidence about connection to its community. Seeing how it did that, particularly with a strong lesbian health strategy, was really powerful.”

Modern-day ACON: a wide-ranging, impactful organisation

In more recent times, ACON launched social inclusion initiatives like Pride in Diversity and Pride in Sport, and played a key role in the promotion and implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), rapid HIV testing, early HIV treatment and Undetectable equal Untransmissible (U=U) as part of the ongoing campaign to end HIV transmission.

ACON has also launched TransHub, a resource for trans and gender diverse people; CAN WE, a platform for cancer screening and prevention specifically for LGBTQIA+ people; and the LOVE Project, a social connection initiative for rainbow seniors.

Earlier this year, ACON opened the Kaleido Health Centre, which made history as Australia’s first integrated primary health care service for NSW’s LGBTQIA+ communities.

Koonin says the 40-year anniversary celebrations are an important time for reflection but adds the organisation can not afford to become complacent.

“You can never take your foot off the accelerator as we need to make progress for everyone,” he says. “I’d like to ask the community how we can take all we’ve learned and now be part of a much broader equity for all Australians.

“That’s where I hope ACON is heading.”

How you can be a part of ACON 40

In celebration of its 40th anniversary milestone, ACON is inviting community members, supporters and allies to join the organisation between August and October for ACON 40 – a festival of events featuring community, theatre, film, art, photography, talks, performances, dancing and more.

“This anniversary is about honouring the work and courage of those who came before us, acknowledging the incredible progress we’ve made, and recommitting to our purpose: to create healthier lives for LGBTQIA+ people and communities,” said ACON CEO Michael Woodhouse.

ACON is working closely with LGBTQIA+ community organisations and groups to help deliver several ACON 40 events. In addition, ACON is partnering with leading cultural institutions — including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW — to bring other events in the festival to life.

“Whether you live in Sydney, Western Sydney or regional NSW, there is something to help you celebrate ACON 40,” Woodhouse said.

The program features 30 events, most of which are free.

Highlights of the ACON 40 program

ACON 40 COMMUNITY LAUNCH

An open event bringing together past and present ACON supporters, partners, allies, staff and volunteers — Friday 22 August, Sydney Town Hall

ACON 40 HUB AT THE WHARF

A talk series reflecting on our history and celebrating LGBTQIA+ trailblazers, queer theatre, community care and more – Saturday 20 September, Sydney Theatre Company (Wharf 2)

ACON 40 RUBY GALA BALL

A formal celebration and fundraiser – Saturday 18 October, Hyatt Regency Sydney

Plus, even more events and featured artists will be announced throughout the season.

Get all the details at acon40.org.au