Sand, surf and sun
With summer rapidly approaching and Christmas on the way, the Illawarra is gearing up for the holiday season and the prospect of some new and exciting projects and events for the GLBT community in the New Year.
Unity, a social support group for the GLBTQ community in the Illawarra, will be embracing the outdoors with a social event at Symbio Wildlife Park on 18 November. Meeting at the gates at 11am for an 11:30am start, you can meet Rambo the American alligator or cuddle a koala. The Unity diners club will also be held at Mangerton Pizzeria on 20 November at 7pm. Please call 0403 899 015 to register your interest.
In the interests of promoting safety and health for sex workers and in order to meet the needs of the local community, ACON will be hosting an educational session called “A bit of kink – an introduction to the basics of BDSM” being held on 12 November. For further details, contact the branch and ask for our SWOP worker, Larry.
The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre has a lesbian counsellor available as well as women’s health doctors and nurses who are all lesbian-friendly. This service is free with a minimal waiting period. Appointments can be made on 4296 7077.
We are fast approaching World AIDS Day and finalising all events and activities. This year we will be holding a service on 26 November in the memorial garden at the ACON office. We will be marking the 10th anniversary of this important service and will be dedicating a memorial stone to commemorate and remember members of our local community whom we have lost to HIV/AIDS. All members of our community, their loved ones, as well as religious representatives and church volunteers, are invited to attend.
If you would like to volunteer to assist us in our World AIDS Day activities or if you require any additional information about groups, services and organisations in the Illawarra you can contact ACON Illawarra on 4226 1163.
Trevor Slattery is the Youth Peer Education / Education and Community Development Officer for ACON’s Illawarra Branch.
E: [email protected]
