Thursday, 23 February 2023

Ministers statements: LGBTIQ+ community

Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples) (14:25): Today I rise to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s commitment to improving the mental health and wellbeing of people from LGBTIQ+ communities. We know that LGBTIQ+ Victorians experience significantly higher rates of mental ill health, and much of that is preventable. By promoting equality and providing safe and responsive mental health supports and services we can ensure all Victorians enjoy the good mental health and wellbeing they deserve.

That is why our government has invested more than $62 million to deliver a range of initiatives for our LGBTIQ+ communities, including $3.2 million to deliver a trial of safe spaces for youth in the Barwon region; $1 million to build the capacity and skills of leaders in organisations through the LGBTIQ+ grants program; $7 million to continue and expand Switchboard’s Rainbow Door program to provide support in navigating and accessing the mental health and wellbeing system; $1.9 million to continue the Healthy Equal Youth project’s critical support for young LGBTIQ+ Victorians; $21.3 million to provide mental health support, primary medical care and peer supports for trans and gender-diverse young people; $4.5 million to deliver a diverse communities mental health and wellbeing framework and a blueprint for action; and $9.6 million for the new diverse communities mental health and wellbeing grants program.

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System called for a mental health and wellbeing system that will meet the needs of Victoria’s diverse population both now and well into the future, and only Labor will make sure every Victorian is supported by a mental health system that is safe, that is responsive and that is inclusive in Victoria and indeed in our government. For every member of our government equality is not negotiable.