Policeman on ACON board

A young community volunteer devoting many hours to facilitating queer youth groups, staffing gay dance party help desks and raising his hand to do even more sounds like a story we’re hearing less and less.

Wes Bas is one of those, a four-year ACON volunteer who joined the community health organisation’s board last month. What’s more surprising is that 20 years after the AIDS Councils were created, Bas is the first police officer or GLLO to take such an active role.

I first got involved after chatting with a boy at a Homesexual party. He was a part of ACON and I was going through GLLO training with the police, he said.

After signing up for the facilitator course in the Fun & Esteem program, Bas recently completed his fifth workshop, this time running an Adult Themes group.

Every time you do it, there’s a certain amount of sexual disclosure which is a bit uncomfortable. But being able to talk about yourself is something I’ve got out of it, and that is valuable, he said.

Some of these people have never come out to their parents, so that’s a big step for them, just talking about themselves.

He also got involved in other activities with ACON, such as the Safe Sex Sluts, Bingay and the ACON desk at dance parties which, unfortunately, has kept him from being able to march in the Police Mardi Gras parade contingent.

Bas, who is now with the force’s School Safety and Response Unit, said he was not joining the board to push a police line.

But working in government does give you skills and expertise that are valuable on any board. I speak the language, I know where they [police] are coming from.
With the recent GLBT NSW 2020 summit and the renewed spirit of cooperation between community organisations, Bas said now was an exciting time to get involved.

I just enjoy volunteering. I’ve also been an Air Force reservist for five years. It’s good to have something outside of police. Police aren’t robots.