The Northern Rivers is a diverse area, with each town or village having a very distinct personality. If you have thought of making a sea or tree change, our area may be the one for you.

This column shows that Northern Rivers boasts an active GLBT community with many groups, activities and social events throughout the year to celebrate our culture. Services for GLBT community members and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are available.

Yamba Queer Grrls are presenting a Comedy Cabaret by the Sea at the Yamba Surf Club on Saturday 2 August from 6.30pm. Funds raised will support ACON’s Lesbian Counselling Service. It promises to be a good laugh and a fun way to meet other women. Contact: 0410 031 015.

Getting On With It is a discussion group for people living longer-term with HIV. Its second gathering is a barbecue meeting in a local rural village on Saturday 19 July from 5pm to 8pm. All people living longer term with HIV are welcome.

A free workshop for all PLWHA titled Happiness will explore what happiness is, what contributes to it and how to sustain it. It will be held at a venue by the ocean on Sunday 3 August. Workshop spaces will fill quickly, so please RSVP soon.

Another regular activity is a well-attended lunch gathering organised by PLWHA for PLWHA held fortnightly at a local coastal venue.

For information about these PLWHA activities contact Neil at ACON.

ACON Northern Rivers, while based in Lismore, regularly provides outreach to Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Tweed and occasionally to other towns.

Finally, the Stand Up For Your Love Rights event illustrates that, when living in a laidback area like Northern Rivers, you can still be out and proud.

This is a gathering organised by local community members to celebrate the recent announcements of the removal of laws discriminating against GLBT people, while acknowledging we still have a way to go to stamp out homophobia.

It starts at 11am on Saturday 9 August outside the ACE Building in Lismore.

info: If you require any additional information about these events, groups, services or organisations in the Northern Rivers contact ACON on 6622 1555 or email sharrison@acon.org.au.

Sioux Harrison is the Administration/Volunteer Officer for ACON Northern Rivers.