Letters of Support for Healthy Communities
May 2012
Good Morning, I would like to voice my concerns over the recent media reports that funding to Healthy Communities will be cut. Healthy Communities provides an essential service in Queensland for the LGBT community and has been pivotel in the control of STI and HIV transmission for close to 30 years now. I have had a 10 year working relationship with Health Communities and have always found them to be a proactive, engaging, passionate and above all, professional group of people committed to the LGBT community of Queensland and Australia. I find it incredibly saddening that the Queensland Government would not maintain funding for such an important organisation. I now work and live in Papua New Guinea in the HIV sector and have had numerous conversations with Papua New Guinean People Living with HIV and relevant organisations who have also had the benefit of peer support from Healthy Communities staff and have improved services and advocacy in Papua New Guinea as a result of Healthy Communities support. Given Papua New Guinea’s HIV epidemic, proximity to the Torres Strait and the cultural exchanges that happen in this region, the work that Health Communities does with Torres Strait communities is essential in ensuring HIV transmission does not increase in this part of Queensland. A cut to funding for Healthy Communities may have some short term budget gains however will create significant long term public health implications for Queensland. This is an issue that will certainly affect my support of the current government. Jean Martin Papua New Guinea
Psychologist Paul Martin Press release May 21, 2012 SUICIDE LEVELS SET TO INCREASE FOLLOWING QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT The Health Minister’s decision to cut funding to Queensland’s Healthy Communities will have far reaching negative mental health ramifications according to psychologist Paul Martin. Mr.Martin who has been working in the area of HIV and mental health for over 25 years says “QAHC has over 10 years experience working with HIV reduction and mental health and has a strong understanding of the psychosocial context in which HIV transmission occurs.” “Many of their programs are geared to address mental health and other issues which are a leading cause of HIV infection. With HIV prevention funding wiped out, QAHC will no longer be able to also provide affordable access for much needed mental health care for other at risk populations such as transgender and lesbians. These populations are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide, so there is a very strong risk that suicide rates will increase in Queensland.” “This heavy handed approach also sends a strong message to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities that their mental health is not important. For populations who are often psychologically damaged through homophobia and transphobia, this alone will lead to an increase in mental health issues and put pressure on other mental health services which are already stretched. “Infection rates of HIV for gay men are similar throughout Australia, and QAHC are a small part of Queensland’s HIV reduction strategy so why target them in particular?” If the government is serious about prioritizing the mental health of all Queenslanders, the Health Minister needs to reconsider his decision to cut HIV reduction funding from QHAC. Contact Psychologist Paul Martin 0419 0055 55
Hon Glen Elmes Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier And Member for Noosa Dear Glen Once again I write to you in utter dismay. I was shocked upon hearing the news that Minister Springborg has seen fit to de-fund Healthy Communities. I have worked with this organisation in the past, especially in my role as Coordinator of the Noosa Community Health Centre. I have always been totally impressed with their work, their professionalism and their dedication to reducing the incidence of HIV AIDS in our community, the electorate you serve. I have also been amazed by the devotion of the many volunteers of Noosa who have worked alongside the staff. Many of these were and are the family members of people who have HIV AIDS. I have attached a link from Healthy Communities outlining their response to the spurious reasons advanced by Minister Springborg for their defunding. You will find it most illuminating. http://issuu.com/roszcraig/docs/response_to_reasons You will be aware that I have a long professional history in the community health sector and academia, have taught health subjects in both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science, at the University of the Sunshine Coast. I have in fact established the Arts course and wrote the programme. One of the critical issues has been the development of evidence based policy and programmes along with a demand by both the State Governments and Commonwealth Governments to ensure that health programmes and projects work towards meeting National and State agreed goals. Minster Springborg’s action in no way reflects this. His decision is based on no evidence and in fact is contrary to the funding agreement made by the State of Queensland with Health Communities, and National and State goals and strategies. This is a most troubling development so soon in the life of your Government and smacks of the way in which funds were allocated by the old party in the “old days”. I remind you of what you said to me on polling day when I raised with you my concerns for our State should your Party win a huge majority. When I raised the spectre of the Bjelke Paterson days you sais to me “Don’t worry that was a long time ago” with the implication that things would not be the same. It seems that this is not the case at all. It is right here, right now. I do so hope that you are able to bring this matter to the attention of the Premier and let him know of the many gay and lesbian people in your electorate who will be adversely affected by this decision. More importantly I hope that you are able to have this decision, and the decision to de-fund Sisters Inside overturned. Yours sincerely Jennie Harvie
Dear Mr Newman, As a Health professional, I express my concern at the way Healthy Communities funding is been withdrawn. I agree that review of current practices is always an essential part of a successful health campaign. Evidence based health strategies are world’s best practice, resulting in optimal health outcomes - thus my dilemma. A full review of HIV services is a great recommendation. However, the proposal is to cease HIV programs by Healthy Communities before any replacement program is in place. This rings major alarm bells with any Health professional - the only optimal outcome is to have no break in service provision. There is absolutely no evidence-based research to suggest this is good public health policy - and no advanced Western country would recommend this. Why is the Health Minister following this course of action? I totally approve of a full review of HIV prevention service in Qld as below: Set up a panel of independent experts to review HIV prevention services in Qld. Continue the existing funding for Healthy Communities until after the review findings are released. Ensure the Qld public has no gap in available HIV prevention services. Release the review findings publicly and have all recommendations made public. Appoint permanent funding for HIV prevention services on the basis of the review by this panel of independent experts. Having a period with no HIV prevention services will likely be counter-productive with a potential rise in HIV transmissions. I’m also concerned that HIV prevention campaigns currently in development by Healthy Communities, should not be lost to the community. Awaiting your reply Sincerely Phil Browne Registered Nurse
From Facebook
Holly Goblin commented on your status update. Holly wrote: “I live in Cairns, I am a youth support worker and I co-facilitate the local queer youth group through another NGO. I have a wonderful partner and the support of a great LGBT community. HC has been an important networking and health promotion service for LBT people as well as for Gay men living with HIV. As far as I know most of the people, including myself, who do such work for LBT people through HC are volunteers. Without organisations like HC and it’s volunteers, who have helped with supporting the community with more than just HIV prevention, I would likely be a depressed woman living in an unhappy heterosexual relationship (see how this affects straight white men too?). I would not be a productive member of the community and I would be living my life as a lie and in anxiety and fear. Healthy Communities matters. It matters for me and it matters to my siblings, my parents, my employers and my ‘would be miserable heterosexual partners’. My employer (not HC) relies on local, state, and federal funding to provide support services to at risk young people in Cairns. LGBT young people are considered ‘at risk’ and they make up a small but integral part of our client base. They are bullied at school, kicked out of their homes, misunderstood or abused by their families and have higher mental health and suicide rates than their peers. Rarely does my work involve a medical focus. It’s the social that causes all these negative effects and services like QAHC have done tremendous work in ameliorating the social isolation, fear and institutionalised violence that negatively impacts the lives of LGBT people and their family’s and the greater community. Healthy Communities matters because healthy communities matter. In love and in solidarity.”
From Facebook Rigmor Helene Berg QAHC is an exemplary community-based organisation that does very important work very well. The sensitivity of the issues they address and the difficult circumstances in which many of their constituency live mean that only a well-functioning communitybased organisation can do what QAHC do. The basis for my view is documented in a formal report
(via Facebook) Dear Minister, I am absolutely disgusted at the decision to cut Healthy Communities funding. Healthy Communities is a strong organisation which has been working with the LGBT community since its inception in 1984 when the National Party first called for and funded the organisation. Their HIV funding from Queensland Health allows them to deliver much needed HIV prevention services including; one-to-one support about HIV & safe sex, HIV prevention skills building workshops, condom & lube distribution, sexual health information line, printed resources on HIV prevention and sexual health for gay men and social marketing campaigns promoting safe sex. Healthy Communities’ contract with Queensland Health explicitly requires them to provide advocacy on LGBT health issues. To cut funding without any notice that Queensland Health was wanting a change in focus or was in any way unhappy with Healthy Communities focus is appalling. If QLD Health was somehow dissatisfied with work of the organisation, then proper procedures should have been followed. The fact their contract is only up for renegotiation in 2014 and you’ve given them three months notice, is absolutely frightening. This is a clear, and poor attempt to undermine LGBT services and the community at large. Furthermore, the move is nonsensical. To argue that the rate of HIV has risen in QLD and is the fault of Healthy Communities is untruthful. Early in the response to HIV in Australia it was recognised that governments were not best placed to deliver HIV prevention to marginalised groups, so governments funded community based organisations to deliver peer education. This has been the corner-stone of Australia’s success to HIV and is a model that has been taken up internationally, and promoted by the U.N. The partnership between affected communities, government, researchers the medical profession is at the core of Healthy Communities effective response. Moreover, in 2003/04, Queensland Health changed the way it funded HIV services from grants to community organisations to a competitive tender process. The Queensland AIDS Council, as Healthy Communities was known then , won the tenders for HIV prevention work with gay men and HIV prevention work with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, but lost the tender for HIV care & support services. I strongly urge you to rethink this move and continue to fund the great work that Healthy Communities does for the LGBT community. Sincerely, Kel Davies, Brisbane
I have attended training workshops during my social work studies with QAHC and have found their trainers and information invaluable. It would be very sad to hear that they were unable to share their wealth of knowledge with other health professionals if their funding is not continued. Affordable workshops are required for other workers in the community. Please consider the detrimental health impacts that would stem from cutting QAHC funding.  Kind regards Emily Fawthrop, Aspley
i’d be looking at addressing their claims about our right to advocate - due to a clearly unsupportive and hostile government (policy example: civil union repeals), it would seem obvious that advocacy is part of QAHC’s responsibilities (being the only non-govt organisation able to do so), in representing a minority whose voices are constantly being ignored by the LNP. while other minority groups in Queensland have public funding, why choose to target ours when our social disadvantage is so closely linked to our health issues? Marc Anthony, Queensland
I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities. If it wasn’t for the support, and services, of QAHC I would still be drinking myself to death, or I would have met an accidental death due to alcohol intoxication. QAHC gave me an alternative to solitude, depression and self medication with alcohol. I met supportive people who understood the strain that ongoing homophobia exerts on a person’s life. Like far too many people in the community, I too have experienced not only direct homophobic abuse, but job loss also. QAHC looks after many people far more vulnerable than me: young people isolated from their families with no support network; at risk adults who need information and safety in regard to their sexual health; historians, researchers and many more people whose work benefits the entire community. QAHC conducts extensive research into community needs and responds accordingly. They work at the coal face, in reality, everyday. QAHC realises that one single approach to a problem does not solve it, because people are diverse and have different needs, and also respond in different ways to information. I’m not the only person alive today because of the work that QAHC does. Their work creates a safer, more stable environment, not only for queer people, but for the entire community. The health and well being of every Queenslander is affected by the work QAHC does. Without QAHC lives will literally be lost. It is not even economically viable to dismantle a prominent, well connected with the community, established, and world reknowned organisation, because it will create greater costs to Queensland Health in the amount of lives it will put at risk of injury or misadventure. Suicide, reckless behaviour due to depression and despair, homophobic and transphobic violence are all real, and are all killers of people young and old. Suicide prevention is one of the many health outcomes of the work QAHC does, and it does this by looking directly into the causes of despair and facing those problems head on. Thank-you QAHC, Evelyn Hartogh, Brisbane
What concerns me is that this whole exercise appears to be a rather blanket cost cutting exercise, to find out what community organisations really need the funding based on community support. Rather than spend a fuckton of money investigating which community support orgs are actually benefiting the community, cut them all and see who complains the loudest. Metzy Statik, Brisbane
Evie Ryder posted in Save Healthy Communities 22 May 09:32
Australia has been remarkably successful in preventing a generalised HIV epidemic which has occurred in the USA, the UK and most other countries of the developed world. A key aspect of the success has been the engagement of affected communities in the response to HIV and principally the work by gay community organisations such as QAHC in preventing HIV infections. Without the vital work QAHC undertakes, this success is very much threatened. QAHC has developed a reputation nationally for its exemplary work and plays a lead role in the overal Australian response to HIV as outlined in the current National HIV Strategy. If the decision to cut funding is carried out, the impact will be far-reaching and devastating.
In the article below, Daniel Reeders, a senior project worker in multicultural HIV, sexual health and viral hepatitis prevention in Melbourne – and blogger, warns that the “shortsighted” move will have devastating consequences for public health. *** This cut is about politics, not public health Daniel Reeders writes: The LNP decision to de-fund the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) is deeply short-sighted. Health Minister Lawrence Springborg says the QAHC shift to advocacy around health for LGBT communities shows the agency has “lost its way”, and he wants to fund a single-issue AIDS council doing HIV prevention alone. His statement also says that infection rates show the agency failing in its mission. Both claims betray an embarrassing ignorance about HIV prevention. Three decades ago Australia and America made different choices on how to configure their HIV epidemic responses. America made it a public health issue; Australia made it a community health issue. Now, cities like San Francisco are reporting 25% HIV prevalence among gay men (Schwarcz et al, 2007). In Queensland, prevalence is around 8.8% (Lee et al, 2011). Tell us again, Minister Springborg, how that constitutes failure? The other claim deserves closer interrogation. It seems reasonable enough, if you’re funding someone to do HIV prevention, to want them to focus on that. How does advocacy around LGBT health issues, like preventing of bullying in schools, youth suicide, domestic violence, help in preventing HIV infections? It comes down to two things: the role of belonging to a community in health, and safe sex culture in sustaining prevention behaviours. Healthy communities Since the advent of effective treatments over 17 years ago, we are no longer living in an AIDS crisis, in the developed world at least. Prevention approaches predicated on fear/crisis just aren’t credible any more. Some people will predictably feel outraged by that statement, but I’d urge them to can it. It doesn’t signal any lack of commitment to prevention: it just means finding new themes to make our work relevant and effective. Those themes are social justice, including marriage equality; a much broader focus on health, including drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, and mental health; and a more inclusive sense of community with lesbians, bisexuals, trans- and intersex folk. With the full support of Queensland Health, QAHC took these themes and issues on, creating many more reasons for people to get involved with their organisation and activities. It’s a classic multi-issue coalition approach, and it’s highly effective, as AdShel found out when it removed posters from the QAHC Rip ‘n’ Roll campaign. (Little wonder they made the LNP government nervous – as it plans to wind back Anna Bligh’s civil union laws.) It is also textbook health promotion.
A volunteer who gets involved because of their concern about youth suicide still benefits from activities promoting safe sex, as well as the inclusive social spaces the organisation creates. Such spaces are vital, because social connectedness is directly beneficial to health. For twenty-eight years, QAHC has been a hub connecting individuals into friendship networks and those networks into a community. Healthy social networks include a mix of bonding (similar) and bridging (different) ties, which respectively afford intimacy and exposure to novel perspectives and information (Sarason et al, 1997). People who are isolated lack opportunities for social learning about safe sex and relationships, as well as ‘bridges into care’ when problems arise and they need supportive referrals for professional assistance. The outcome of defunding QAHC will be more people living for longer with gaps in their knowledge and patterns of sexual risk-taking leading to HIV infection. Safe sex culture Springborg has announced plans to create a committee of experts to oversee HIV prevention in Queensland. But what does ‘an expert’ look like to a Minister of Health? It is very unlikely to be someone who has direct personal knowledge of gay men’s sexual cultures in all their diversity and ingenuity. It is far more likely to be someone with a medical degree and a PhD in epidemiology. I have nothing against Doctor Doctors — indeed, I envy their energy — but in matters of HIV prevention strategy they consistently make two errors: they overestimate the influential power of information and underestimate that of safe sex culture. This far into the epidemic, it’s news to precisely nobody that condoms protect against infection. The marginal utility of condom reinforcement campaigns declines rapidly into negative value: research shows audience members losing faith in campaigns that repeat what they already know. And yet the majority of gay men continue to use condoms most of the time, and even when they don’t, the patterning of their risk-taking evinces a continued commitment to avoiding HIV infection. Isn’t that bizarre? And yet it isn’t: it shows how early messages were translated into everyday practices of care of the self and others, frequently non-verbal, practiced and passed on in casual encounters and long-term relationships, between friends and lovers, fuck buddies and partners — in what the Australian cultural theorist Michael Hurley has called “cultures of care” (Hurley, 2003). Tell us again, Minister Springborg, how your experts will understand that better than QAHC? Readers only need eyes to see the conservative political reasons underpinning the LNP decision to de-fund Healthy Communities. From a prevention strategy viewpoint, even their alibi is laughable. The move is nothing less than an attack on the LGBT community and for the simple reason of its strength. The LNP government must reverse course or Queensland will reap the consequences.
A sad and worrying state of affairs At the start of this week the new Queensland Government made an unprecedented move to undertake a major cut to funding of QAHC (Queensland Association for Healthy Communities) at a crucial time when new HIV diagnosis is on the rise. It has been said the State Government is redirecting the $2.6 million in funding to a new ministerial advisory committee on HIV, but many see a more sinister reason for this move. One would ask why you would remove funding from a community body that is addressing an issue that is more pressing than ever. And being only one of 16 organisations is Queensland funded by the State Government to combat HIV. QAHC only receives HIV prevention money to work with gay men. They do not receive money to do HIV or AIDS awareness with the general community or with other high risk groups, which is their purpose. That is what the organisations contract outlines and that is what they have delivered consistently for years now. And to add as of yesterday QHAC had been notified by Queensland Health that they are also removing LGBT awareness training funding and alcohol, tobacco & other drugs funding. So, if it’s about rising HIV numbers, then why cut these projects as well? Having seen the sinister motives of some past and current conservative politician’s and political parties, the power of the Christian right in Australian state and federal politics, these moves are blatantly motivated by hate, ignorance and once again homophobia! Having lived in Brisbane for over 12 years I know many people who have been in desperate need of help, some who wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the help and assistance of QAHC. Be it the issue of homelessness, especially effecting LGBTI youth who more than often kicked out of home for being who they are, to drug abuse with its dangerous consequences, then there is the violence and crimes of hate directed to LGBTI people at a much greater rate than that of the larger/straight community. The ignorance is mind blowing when a lot of these issues stem from homophobia, inaction of government and political leadership that has promoted hate over compassion. Most would agree that services, awareness campaigns and alike can always be improved, but to scrap initiatives in place, to remove substantial funding to a community organisation that has a long standing and important place in Qld is brash, reactionary and not productive. Many Queenslanders have spoken to me this week expressing great concern and disappointment by this move especially when they have the prospect of having their human rights further restricted from the Qld government’s intention to remove the Civil Unions Legislation. What is this message the new Qld government are trying to send? The word that has come to mind when I see such conscience disregard for the issues at play is ‘nasty,’ and ironically ‘unchristian!’ A clear indication of the level of influence the Christian Right have in this government, influencing decisions that have nothing to do with them other than facilitating their own agenda of discrimination.
It is easy to assume that this maybe a payback for the embarrassment of the ACL (Australian Christian Lobby) when they received a substantial backlash for their aggressive and false campaign to remove a highly successful (and I say successful, because it had an impact!) HIV prevention advertisement directed at gay men in bus shelters throughout Brisbane. I remember the shock when it looked like the ACL had succeeded in getting the campaign taken down, but of course reason prevailed and billboard company ADSHELL had reinstated the campaign. More than 25,000 people said ‘no’ to such ignorance and influence from a fringe organisation that’s sole purpose seems to be to discriminate and oppress LGBTI people. I remember jumping on the phone to thank the manager of GOA Billboards when I had found out their proud support for the campaign and more importantly stating that they wouldn’t bow to the pressure from a group such as the ACL, the manager thanked me for making contact but it is what he said next that really made an impact, he said personally it was important for him to make a stand on this issue as he has a young family and he didn’t want his children growing up in a society where a campaign to address the health of its members is stopped for no plausible reason, he wanted his children to grow up knowing and acknowledging the diversity in their society and the importance of equality. So are these decisions a reflection of the greater Qld society? I cannot answer this, but one thing I do know is many Queenslanders can plainly see the motivation behind these recent moves by the government and they don’t like it!! It’s another dangerous move by our leaders to say to the vulnerable LGBTI youth and more acutely of regional Qld that we don’t care for you and reactionary ignorance is the right response to addressing the detrimental and potentially life threatening effects of HIV and the broader health issues effecting LGBTI people. The correlation between increased rates of HIV and issues of mental health is now widely known it is the responsibility of government to acknowledge the importance of reducing social isolation and its positive impact on mental health. This government needs to wake-up and realise we are not going anywhere, we are entitled to be treated as equals and our health is as important as those of the Christian Right they so regularly pander to! Carl Katter
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Rob Lake (in the Brisbane Times, May 21) The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive officer Rob Lake said Healthy Communities’ work was a ‘‘textbook example’’ of best practice. ‘‘If Healthy Communities’ experience and expertise were to be lost to the Queensland HIV response, it would be nothing short of a tragedy for Australian HIV prevention,’’ he said.
Gary Woodhouse, Brisbane (via Facebook, May 21)
Every bloke i have come incontact with since coming out this year the one of the first questions I get ask when it comes to sex is do you have protection and are you clean. And I put this down to the great job these men and woman do in our community. As every time I have been out to a club there they are, and for my protection I am for ever grateful to have them, as its some times one of those things you forget. We need and must keep QAHC.