LGBTIQ+ Women’s Health Conference Returns To Melbourne 

Thorne Harbour Health and ACON on Tuesday unveiled the official program for the sixth national LGBTIQ+ Women’s Health Conference, set to take place on October 24 and 25, 2023, in Melbourne. 

This year’s conference, dedicated to addressing the health and well-being of LGBTIQ+ women, boasts a diverse lineup of speakers and topics, with Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer headlining the event. Dr BlackDeer, a queer decolonial scholar-activist hailing from the Southern Cheyenne Nation and an assistant professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, will centre Indigenous voices in her research.

Over thirty sessions are featured in this year’s program, highlighting critical issues and providing valuable insights into the lives of LGBTIQ+ women. 

Coming Together In Solidarity

 “We hope that this year’s conference reinvigorates the conversation about the mental, physical, sexual, and social health of LGBTIQ+ women across Australia as well as creates a space to celebrate our diversity,” Rachel Cook, Women’s Health Lead at Thorne Harbour Health and one of the conference organisers said in a statement. 

Thorne Harbour Health President Janet Jukes OAM emphasised the importance of unity within the LGBTIQ+ women’s community. “Recently there’s been a disproportionate focus on the differences among LGBTIQ+ women. This conference offers us an invaluable opportunity to come together in solidarity to advance our collective wellbeing and address the health needs of all LGBTIQ+ women across Australia,” said Jukes.

Karen Price, Deputy CEO of ACON, stressed the significance of the conference. “The LGBTIQ+ Women’s Health Conference offers our communities an important and much-needed forum to come together and put the spotlight on significant issues that impact LGBTIQ+ women’s lives,” said Price. 

“There is a unique and powerful energy created when those engaged in improving the health of LGBTIQ+ women come together. The conference will harness our expertise, research, lived experience, and, importantly, we will explore opportunities to strengthen efforts to influence LGBTIQ+ policy, programs, and services,” added Price.

LGBTIQ+ Women

Some of the program’s standout events include discussions on emerging trends and community-led responses to tech-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTIQ+ women, a workshop focused on prioritising queer pleasure, a health panel dedicated to the Rainbow Mob, and even a session on trauma-informed kickboxing for all.

The conference will also delve into topics like disability awareness, exploring the experiences of LGBTIQ refugee and migrant women in Australia, and more. Organisers aim to revitalise discussions surrounding the mental, physical, sexual, and social health of LGBTIQ+ women while celebrating their diversity.

Co-hosted by Thorne Harbour Health and ACON, the 2023 LGBTIQ+ Women’s Health Conference is set to take place on Tuesday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 25, at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne.

For more details about the conference program, visit the website here.