Movember rejects rival campaign
Men’s health charity Movember and national depression initiative beyondblue have hit back at what they say are “incorrect facts” spruiked by rival fundraising campaign Homovember.
Victorian mental health advocate Rob Mitchell placed an advertisement in this week’s Southern Star Observer which 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.”
Movember chief operating officer Jason Hincks said the ‘dead bro grows no mo’ advertisement is wrong because Movember does fund programs “for all men, including the gay community,” through beyondblue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA).
“It’s disappointing that the creator of these adverts didn’t speak with us to check his facts,” Hincks said.
“We’ve always offered transparency and open dialogue to anyone approaching the organisation and would have readily educated him on our broad range of men’s programs — all of which are inclusive of, and some specifically focused on, the gay community.
“His actions are irresponsible and misleading and on behalf of the Movember community we’re hurt that he’s calling into question the values and diverse nature of our organisation.”
PCFA CEO Dr Anthony Lowe said money donated from Movember goes into a range of programs including the Shine a Light program which is aimed at supporting and educating gay men affected by prostate cancer.
Beyondblue deputy CEO Nicole Highet said the organisation has allocated Movember funds to three gay-specific research programs to better understand depression and anxiety in the gay community, including research into the impacts of alcohol and drug use on the diagnosis and management of depression in gay men.
New Mardi Gras chair Peter Urmson has also spoken out in support of Movember saying Mardi Gras’ Team HoMo would continue to support the campaign.
“We do so with a strong understanding of the support that Movember delivers to the LGBTQ community,” Urmson said.
“I look forward to supporting the cause again this November as I understand the importance of the fundraising Movember delivers to benefit our community.
“I am proud to be associated with Movember and encourage our community to support it. Our issues should not be aimed at the Movember organisation.”
Mitchell said he was continuing with the campaign because he believes beyondblue has not been doing enough in the area of LGBTI mental health.
“Why is it that good things aren’t done on the back of the evidence?” Mitchell said.
“Why are the good things, and they are only pissant good things, only initiated after completely out-there activism?
“Why are we having to push and shove them every step of the way?”
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.
You May Also Like
Oliver – EVERYTHING is homophobic these days. It’s ridiculous, the gays don’t like something so they slap the homophobic label on it.
Heterophobic is a work that should be used more often! Contact me through my blog, I can’t see a link to you anywhere online?
Also Neil, I too think the whole Jeff Kennet thing is just a lot of unnecessary fuss. Was it really homophobic what he said? and on what scale?
I agree with you Neil Gardiner, Mardi Gras has done its time.
Oh Mardi Gras speaks for no one but it’s self, it’s becoming less and less relevant at every event.
I think there is a lot of fuss over nothing with this Jeff Kennet mess. I’ll still be supporting MoVember.
[…] Movember rejects rival campaign Men's health charity Movember and national depression initiative beyondblue have hit back at what they say are “incorrect facts” spruiked by rival fundraising campaign Homovember. Victorian mental health advocate Rob Mitchell placed an advertisement in … Read more on Sydney Star Observer […]
Greg, have you ever been elected to a community group? I doubt it because if you had you would n’t make the sort of half arsed comment about who do they speak for
Greg, and what exactly have you done for our community, have you stood for election in a community group or are you just one of those who types with one hand from the sidelines?
I like what Nobel prize winning author Patric White said about the Gay Mardi Gras.
“What will they do, swing their handbags”.
Oh .. one other thing, organisations like JOY and New Mardi Gras don’t actually seem to be speaking for their members, i’ve read very few comments from people looking to support Beyondblue at this time, or saying ‘Well done Jeff, we know what you mean, we’re not offend, we don’t mistrust you’ .. it’s almost embarrasing watching these big groups who profess to speak for the community, actually be so utterly out of touch with what the community is thinking, and saying.
Ahhh yes, such sweet memories, when Mardi Gras was about politial agitation, and not cowing to to big faceless organisations, when the group actually had principles .. this was all before they bent over and became more concerned with sponsorship dollars, tho why they’d need money from ‘NAIR’ is a mystery, they actually need balls to smear the stuff on first. New Mardi Gras, you say nothing to me anymore.
I, for one, am glad that these questions are finally being asked of Beyondblue. Gay men are over-represented by 900% (!!) in youth suicide statistics and I think it’s an appalling state of affairs that an organisation that purports to be a national body for mental health is chaired by a man who directly contributes to the societal factors that create said over-representation. It’s good to see that Beyondblue are (finally) talking about putting some money into LGBTI mental health but a commitment is a far cry from real outcomes being delivered.
I think that Jason Hincks is quite right to be asking these critical questions – a shame, though, that Peter Urmson doesn’t think he needs to do the same. I think there is a lesson for Mardi Gras in this whole episode: the mentality of raising money to have a party to raise money to have a party doesn’t seem to be working and perhaps the answer to their declining engagement of community is to be on the front foot on issues such as this.
Movember’s donations to prostate cancer support charities are admirable but lets not forget that a whopping 40% of funds raised go to Beyondblue.
The more organizations the merrier.
Beyond Help is no help at all.
Why is Mr. Kennett always talking about helping young people exclusively?
What about those older depressed citizens he and his Liberal mates have been terrorizing and jailing for decades?