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Homovember going ahead

By on October 6, 2011

Victorian LGBTI mental health advocate Rob Mitchell has vowed to push on with a rival mental health fundraising campaign, Homovember, placing an advertisement in today’s Star Observer calling for support.

The advertisement, which is likely to cause controversy, shows a picture of a dead body with a rainbow tag tied around the toe, saying, “Cause of death: neglect”.

“A dead bro grows no mo”, the advertisement says.

“All the millions of dollars raised by ‘Movember’, none of the funds are specifically targeted to GLBTI people.

“We will only reduce GLBTI youth suicide by funding programs we know work.”

Mitchell is calling for people to drop their support of mental health fundraiser Movember for the gay and lesbian-specific Homovember campaign.

Movember raised $10 million last year for national mental health initiative beyondblue.

In the past, beyondblue has been criticised for a muted response to LGBTI mental health issues. Beyondblue chair Jeff Kennett also faced a backlash last month for remarks he made about same-sex parenting.

“There is no substitute for parents of both genders,” Kennett wrote in a recent Herald Sun opinion piece.

“Happy heterosexual marriages are the best environment for the mental health of children.”

This week, Melbourne LGBTI radio station JOY94.9 distanced itself from claims it would support the Homovember campaign.

JOY met with Movember chief operating officer Jason Hincks and beyondblue deputy CEO Dr Nicole Highet on Monday following newspaper reports the station would back the rival fundraiser in protest at Kennett’s comments on same-sex parenting.

Since the Monday meeting, JOY president David McCarthy has interviewed Kennett.

The interview will broadcast on JOY94.9 at noon today.

Last night JOY released a statement saying Kennett wanted to work with the community.

In what appears to be a backflip on his views on same-sex parenting, Kennett said in the interview that, “children need a loving relationship with their parent, or parents, irrespective of their gender or sexuality”.

JOY president David McCarthy told the Star Observer he was “comfortable and confident” Kennett was speaking genuinely.

Comedian and Triple J presenter Tom Ballard is running a petition calling on better leadership from Kennett on LGBTI mental health issues.

Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14 and The Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service can be contacted via 1800 184 527; Melbourne 03 9827 8544; Sydney 02 8594 9596; Brisbane 07 3017 1717.

About Andie Noonan

9 Comments

  1. Steve

    October 6, 2011 at 11:58 am


    I’m all for the ad. It’s great and highlights the bad situation at Beyoneblue. I’ve written to the GM of Beyondblue and am waiting for a reply.

  2. rob1966

    October 6, 2011 at 1:57 pm


    The petition mentioned in the article can be found here:

    http://www.change.org/petitions/jeff-kennett-end-discrimination-support-mental-health-for-glbtiq-young-people

  3. john

    October 6, 2011 at 3:01 pm


    As long as someone tells psychiatry that they need to stop abusing people by destroying their brains when the problems in their hearts, Before a thought even gets to the brain it has to pass via the heart, the feeling section, and feelings need talking care, not poisoning care.
    Violently holding someone down and forcefully poisoning them, and calling them sick and horrible names actually hurts your heart, much more than it is already hurting, bad on bad doesn’t help that’s for sure, and also stops you accessing the source of your problems, because your off your face in a very alien mind space,Anyway think what you like, but until they start to look in the fire place where the problem are and begin, and stop looking at the mantle piece, it wont even matter about gay or non gay,because society is going to stay sick until these tyrants stop adding insanity to what only happens because of tour feelings and your circumstances.

  4. Sally

    October 6, 2011 at 10:19 pm


    Today Jeff Kennett appeared on 3AW and also on The World Today on ABC radio. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday

    He again said that heterosexual relationships were what he personally considered to be preferable.

    So what was he saying on JOY FM and what is he saying today?

  5. Jay

    October 7, 2011 at 12:02 am


    Rob Mitchell, destroy Movember at your own peril. No other organisation raises more money for men’s health….all men!

  6. Ben

    October 7, 2011 at 12:20 am


    Yeah – JOY didn’t get anything useful out of him neither.. Apart from the most verbose pile of verbal diarrhoea to leap forth from his mouth since he was ousted as Premier.. Jeff should stick to penning articles for Herald Sun.. He’s able to put his bigotry more succinctly when it’s written down in advance… As for representing the best interests of a national depression initiative – “it’s time to go… Jeff…”

  7. John

    October 7, 2011 at 12:06 pm


    What the frakk is Jeffrey wearing? Did he dress especially poncey in pastel to further “mollify” his audience?

  8. Chris

    October 9, 2011 at 11:37 pm


    To suggest ditching support of a scheme that benefits many, just because it doesn’t match ones own agenda is ridiculous.

  9. Rob Mitchell

    October 11, 2011 at 7:17 pm


    Hi Jay,

    I’m not trying to ‘destroy’ Movember at all. Rather, if people want to donate money directly to worthy GLBTI causes, they have an avenue to do so.

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