Spring 2020
WELCOME TO EDITION 37 OF REDTHREAD.
Finally, after the longest autumn and winter anyone can remember, things are once again warming up.
based lube $17
water based lube 75 ml $4
water based lube 500 ml $10
Are you a person who hates 2020 and wants their money back? Or are you a person who feels like they finally found themselves and would have paid for the opportunity. Maybe both, somewhere in between, or neither. In any case, it seems we are now somewhere on the way to getting a grip on this wave of adversity – albeit (in Tasmania) a privileged, isolated grip...
Liverpool Street, HOBART - 5pm
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hard work at times, but if we are diligent, and seek out reputable sources, we have a better chance of getting a clear picture.
In its 35-year history, HIV eventually succeeded to make its existence properly understood. In similar ways Covid-19 is slowly getting a grip on itself and what it means for humans.
Maybe it’s trite to name up positives from such a wave of adversity. Yet, as I write this my colleagues are planning BBVs 101 for a group of 12-year-olds. Explaining HIV and Hepatitis is now a matter of referring to Covid- 19 (a familiar topic for them now) and drawing comparisons and differences between viruses that transmit through the air, and viruses that transmit through blood. (Update: after the event, they reported asking a group whether they knew what a virus was. One student replied it is something that messes up the economy *facepalm emoji*)
This publication is an initiative of the Health Promotion Program at the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases, (TasCAHRD).
Views expressed in Man2Man are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of TasCAHRD.
We are slowly getting to know more about how Covid-19 lives in and amongst us, and about how it affects our bodies. We know more about its limits, and likely how to stop it from passing from one person to the next. We know that the way it gets framed up socially ranges from the manageable to the hysterical.
Phone: 03 6234 1242
Email: projects@tascahrd.org.au
Post: GPO Box 595 Hobart
Tasmania 7001
Web: tascahrd.org.au
We also struggle with conflicting messages from science, culture, community and politics, including where transmission, testing, treatment and monitoring are concerned. I guess our confidence will come when these there is alignment in these stories.
Facebook: Man2ManTas
TasCAHRD receives funding from the Crown, through Department of Health and Human Services, to provide these services.
Editor:
Matt Anning
Contributors:
It’s
Matteo Senesi
Sarah Lenehan
Grant Blake
Matt Newell
a new generation of people who are learning that there are barriers to ending virus transmission, and that viruses don’t discriminate.
Tracey Wing
Our colleagues at TasCAHRD
Design & Layout: Ede Magnussen
Printing courtesy of: Xerox Hobart
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Would you like to see your business or service advertised in this mag? Contact TasCAHRD for rates – projects@tascahrd.org.au.
Interestingly more people might know more about viruses than ever before. The rate info spreads across social media means that we are all subject to a daily litany of facts. Sorting the facts in the news from the opinions and the scams is
Richelle Menzies
Bethany Nolin
Niamh Schofield
Isaac Tye
Great prices on these items at TasCAHRD:
• Condoms
• Beppy sponges
• Lube
• HIV self-test kits
• Blood spill kits
Nigel Mallett House
319 Liverpool Street Hobart
Open 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
WARNING: some of the content of this magazine may be offensive to some readers. TasCAHRD receives funding from the Crown, through the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide these services.
Views expressed in Red thread are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of TasCAHRD.
This publication is an initiative of the Health Promotion Program at the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD).
Would you like to see your business or service advertised in this mag? Contact TasCAHRD for rates – projects@tascahrd.org.au
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PREP SAVVY GPS
Dr Jennifer Mission - Sandy Bay Clinic
270 Sandy Bay Road | Ph 62236822
Book online at www.sandybayclinic.com.au
Dr Natasha Lovatt - Aboriginal Health Service
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and Eastern Shore Doctors – Bellerive
48 Cambridge Road | Ph 6282 1399
Dr Denys Volkovets - George Town Medical Centre
49 Anne Street | Ph 6382 4333
Dr Wole Olomola City Medical Practice - 10 Marine Terrace Burnie
Dr Jane Cooper - Don Medical Clinic
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Dr Mark Ryan - Newdegate St Medical Clinic
107 Newdegate St West Hobart | Ph 62314109
Your health is our health
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEEDLE AND SYRINGE PROGRAM AND WHY IT WORKS.
THE NEEDLE AND SYRINGE PROGRAM (NSP) IS A LEGAL, EVIDENCE-BASED HARM REDUCTION INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES CLEAN NEEDLES AND SYRINGES TO PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS (PWID), TO REDUCE THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV AND OTHER BLOOD BORNE VIRUSES, SUCH AS HEPATITIS B AND C.
The aim of the program is to minimize harm to individuals and the community, rather than to focus on the drug or to demonise PWID. Its role is to support people to stay healthy, to manage their drug use and to access health, welfare, and other services. PWID come from all walks of life. Some manage their drug use well and live active and engaged lives, while others experience a wide range of challenges. NSPs do not condemn nor condone drug use. They are here to offer safe, professional and confidential service, where people know they can get support if and when they need it.
NSPs have prevented over 30,000 HIV infections and 100,000 Hepatitis C infections. They have saved our national health budget over 2 billion dollars. And if you look at Australia’s rate of HIV amongst PWID, it is 1.7%, compared with 9% in the United States. In medical terms that is a big difference and considered a public health success story. They have also paved the way for our nation to understand health and deal with serious problems like…. pandemics.
Yet, launching the NSP way back in 1988 was a monumental task and at times seemed almost impossible.
By the mid 1980’s, the panic of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was in full swing and Homosexual men and PWID were actively being targeted and blamed for the crisis. Infection rates of HIV/AIDS were rapidly increasing and spreading across the country, and doctors argued that as well as safe sex programs, there needed to be prevention programs for PWID.
This was a time when people knew nothing about blood borne viruses. Syringes were sharpened on matchboxes because of their lack of supply. Literally thousands of people were dying or becoming terribly ill. This had a knock-on effect for the people’s lives and our country’s health services.
An NSP would allow people the opportunity to protect their own health by providing access to sterile injecting equipment. This would stop the spread among PWID and the general community, while also addressing these terrible sharing practices and alarming rates of hepatitis B and C.
Given the conservative views on drug use and the terror of the virus, the idea of an NSP through the nation into a moral panic, and the issue became nothing short of a 5-star shit fight. The main argument was that the NSP would ‘send the wrong message’ and only encourage more drug use.
As infection rates worsened and after being refused multiple permits for a pilot program, a group of really gutsy Medical professionals set up their own self-funded NSP. Dr Alex Wodak was the director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at Sydney’s St Vincent hospital and he was behind the illegal pilot needle and syringe exchange in the inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst. It was an act of civil disobedience, but it saved lives and force the government to look at the science. The move worked. And to their credit, the Australian Government settled that while they did not agree with PWID, the conceded it was better to reduce the harms associated with drug use, than to take the moral high ground at the nations expense to prove a moral point.
Australia now has one of the world’s lowest rates of HIV among PWID, and the evidence is clear that this success is the result of the early introduction of NSPs. But this small part of our health history could have been a vastly different story.
By comparison, the US response to the HIV/AIDS crisis was to name, blame, shame and completely ignore the science.
This decision killed almost a million citizens and had a huge impact on how people understood and valued human life. It’s a shame they didn’t learn from it.
By Andy Aisbett
The queer art of funding
HERE’S SOMETHING A BIT GRIM… FROM 2013-2018 IT WAS RECORDED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDED 80 BILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY GROUPS EACH YEAR. OF THAT 80 BILLION JUST 0.07% WAS AWARDED TO QUEER RELATED PROJECTS.
2 OUT OF 2,882.
Yep.
I know - it’s atrocious of me to harp on about funding and saving the arts when there are much larger issues in the world. However, I am an artist and my mother’s name is Karen, so I feel like its in my DNA to complain.
Funding for everyone is dire, especially in the current circumstances, but this issue dates way back. According to ourcommunity.org from 2013-2018, state governments approved 23,188 applicants but only 24 were for LGBTQIA+ causes. GRIM. That’s only 0.10%. For the icing on this very sad cake, 48% of LGBTQIA+ groups around Australia only had a $10,000 annual budget to work with. Most likely still do… GRIM!
Of course there are funding opportunities for us queers and that’s something to be grateful for. But they are limited and not as equal as we would hope.
Is it possible that the broader community (the government) believes our equality ends with the right to be married?
Asking for a friend.
We can do something about this!
If you’re an institution that creates funding opportunities, make more space for queer artists.
If you know a queer artist, provide assistance, advice and support for their art as much as you can.
Donate to artists, share their content and celebrate the magic that queer art offers to our community.
Cars rent smokes
FORMER SMOKER, GARY (53) FROM HOBART THREW AWAY HIS SMOKES SEVEN YEARS AGO AND RECKONS HE’S SAVED OVER $9,000 A YEAR, OR AROUND $80,000 SINCE. HE TOOK SOME OF THAT MONEY EARLY ON AND BOUGHT A NEW CAR.
There are so many reasons why people smoke:
• feeling stressed or lonely
• as a reward
• feeling bored
• to mitigate side effects of medication
• habits like a cigarette with a coffee or a glass of alcohol.
It’s a big list! It’s almost as long as the list of reasons why 80% of Tasmanian smokers want to quit.
Top of that list is often cost.
Smoking costs a lot, and we all know it’s getting more expensive all the time. With the recent tax increase of 12.5% on tobacco an average cigarette costs around $1.51 or $906 a month if you smoke 20 a day. The amounts get scary over a year when a pack a day habit starts to impact rental costs and other living expenses.
If you are interested in finding out more, take a look at the new interactive cost calculator Quit Tasmania has developed. It quickly shows you what you’ll be able to save from the first day you quit. In just a month you could have a new phone or pay TV for a year and feel under less pressure with living costs.
Check it out at quittas.org.au/cost-of-smoking
Find out how much you could save - visit quittas.org.au/cost-of-smoking .
If you want some help with the list of things that make it hard for you give up, the skilled and supportive Quitline team are there to help on 13 78 48.
Department of Health
Trial of free take-home naloxone in Tasmania
What is the trial about?
The Tasmanian Government is investing in a trial of free take-home naloxone to people who are at risk of an opioid overdose.
Opioids include drugs such as heroin and prescribed medicines (pharmaceutical opioids) such as oxycontin and fentanyl. 3 people die in Australia every day from opioid-related use. Over 110 000 Australians are struggling with opioid dependence. 64% of drug-induced deaths in 2018 involved opioids. Tasmania has the highest rate of prescribed opioids of all states and territories.
The take-home naloxone trial aims to increase access to naloxone for people at risk of opioid overdose to reduce opioid-related deaths and reduce the stigmas associated with drug use.
The trial will run from July 2020 until the end of February 2021.
What is naloxone?
Naloxone is a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid-related overdose. It is safe to use and side effects are rare.
Naloxone takes effect within 2-3 minutes of administration and its effects last between 30 and 90 minutes.
The free naloxone will be available in the form of an easy-to-use nasal spray called Nyxoid®
Where can people access free take-home naloxone?
The free take-home naloxone will be available from the following Needle and Syringe Program services:
Outlet name
South
Location
Phone number
Clarence Community Health Centre 18-22 Bayfield Street - Rosny 6166 2323
Anglicare - Glenorchy 436 Main Road - Glenorchy 6213 3547
Anglicare - Hobart Basement 18 Watchorn Street - Hobart
6213 3943
Jordan River Services Inc - Bridgewater 6 Bowden Drive - Bridgewater 6263 4303
North
Salvation Army - Launceston
North-West
Youth and Family Community Connections
111 Elizabeth St - Launceston
62 Stewart Street - Devonport
6323 7500
6423 6635
Anglicare - Burnie 6 Strahan Street - Burnie 6430 3342
Community Pharmacies across Tasmania have been asked to help with the trial by referring any patients without a valid script or pharmacies that do not have naloxone in stock to direct the person to the nearest Needle and Syringe outlet (as listed above) or to refer them to the state Alcohol and Drug Service on 1300 139 641.
Where can I find more information on opioids and naloxone ?
• the Australian Government Pilot (NSW, SA and WA)
• the Alcohol and Drug Foundation opioids and naloxone
• the World Health Organization
• the Penington Institute’s Community Overdose Prevention Education (COPE) Program
• La Trobe University’s Overdose Lifesavers website
Department of Health
Time for cuppa with TasPPL
Are you living with a blood borne virus?
The Tasmanian Positive Living Project (TasPPL) is here to support people living with a Blood Borne Virus (BBV). With COVID19 we changed the way we worked by connecting on Zoom. Time for a cuppa with TasPPL – now online.
Time for a Cuppa is an opportunity to chat, have a cuppa and share stories with people who have similar experiences. We can also help with referrals for mental and physical health and well-being, and access to the support available through TasCAHRD, the Andrew Shaw Foundation.
Contact us for details of when we meet people@TasPPL.org.au
By Richelle Menzies
Love is in the air
SPRING IS HERE. THE SUN IS SHINING. THOUGHTS OF LOVE AND GETTING OUT AND ABOUT ARE WITH US ALL – KEEPING COVID RESTRICTIONS IN MIND, OF COURSE.
BUT WHAT HAVE THE LAST 6 MONTHS TAUGHT US ABOUT LOVE, CONNECTION AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES?
Many people have experienced isolation, both physically and socially and this has brought home to people how important connection to others is - whether that be those we love, family and friends, colleagues, neighbours or even the broader online community. People reached out in ways they may have not before. Relationships started online. Relationships ended online and in person. Many people took the time to reassess and reach out for support with their relationships.
Isolating and quarantine gives people time to assess their lives and relationships. I saw an increase in the number of people in relationships, couples and poly families after the first three months. There were many reasons people sought support from a sexologist but I found they fell into a couple of themes: the little things that were easily
ignored when people were away from each other every day, suddenly became not so little; and the thoughts that had not been expressed or conversations that had not been had, were expressed and had, resulting in renegotiating boundaries and parameters of relationships.
During this time, I not only saw individuals for a range of sexology-based issues, but I supported relationships where a realisation occurred that it was over. We were able to have conversations about how to navigate the separation respectfully. I also saw people who were looking at new ways of being together and saw several couples open their relationships; and even move into polyamory.
What can I say! My work is never boring. I am passionate about supporting people to explore their sensual potential both as an individual and also in their relationships.
Sensual Potential
Providing sexuality education and psycho-sexual counselling www.sensualpotential.com.au 0408 843 221
"C" The Difference "C" The Difference
Get the facts about the NEW hepatitis C treatment
Myth
You can only get treated for hepatitis C once
You have to stop using drugs to get treated for hepatitis C
You have to give yourself injections that will make you very sick
Hepatitis C treatment takes a long time and isn't very effective
Treatment is only available from specialist health
Fact
If you get hepatitis C again, you can get treatment again
You can be treated for hepatitis C if you are currently using drugs
The new treatment is only 1 or 3 tablets per day and most people have very few side effects
The new treatment generally takes only 8-12 weeks and over 95% of people are cured
Treatment is available from GPs, sexual health clinics, Aboriginal health services, and youth health services
Language Matters Cheatsheet
SAY THIS NOT THIS
T r a n s m i t / t r a n s m i s s i o n
C o n t r a c t e d , a c q u i r e d
d i a g n o s e d w i t h [ a B B V ]
H I V , H I V a n d A I D S ( w h e n
r e f e r r i n g t o b o t h )
P o s i t i v e / n e g a t i v e b l o o d s c r e e n ,
b l o o d c o n t a i n i n g [ B B V ]
S t e r i l e / u n s t e r i l e , u s e d / u n u s e d
i n j e c t i n g e q u i p m e n t
P e r s o n l i v i n g w i t h [ a B B V ]
P e r s o n w h o u s e s / i n j e c t s d r u g s
P e r s o n w h o i s n o l o n g e r u s i n g d r u g s
P e r s o n w h o i s / h a s b e e n i n p r i s o n
P a r t n e r / S p o u s e ( i f u n s u r e )
P a r e n t / G u a r d i a n ( i f u n s u r e )
G i v e / g a v e , i n f e c t e d , s p r e a d
C a u g h t ,
b e c a m e i n f e c t e d w i t h [ a B B V ]
A I D S ( w h e n r e f e r r i n g t o t h e v i r u s H I V )
D i r t y / c l e a n b l o o d , t a i n t e d b l o o d ,
c l e a n ( a s i n " I ' m c l e a n " )
C l e a n / d i r t y n e e d l e s
Ca r r i e r , i n f e c t e d , d i s e a s e d ,
c o n t a m i n a t e d , v i c t i m , s u f f e r e r
D r u g u s e r / a b u s e r , a d d i c t , j u n k i e
F o r m e r a d d i c t , r e c o v e r e d , c l e a n
P r i s o n e r , o f f e n d e r , p a r o l e e ,
e x - c o n v i c t
H u s b a n d / W i f e / G i r l f r i e n d / B o y f r i e n d
M o t h e r / F a t h e r
By Rob and Beth
Watch your mouth
WHAT IS STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION, AND WHY DOES LANGUAGE MATTER.
STIGMA IS AN ATTITUDE ABOUT PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES, ACTIVITIES AND HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT LEADS TO REJECTING, AVOIDING OR FEARING OTHERS.
Discrimination occurs when individuals or institutions unjustly deprive others of their rights and opportunities due to stigma. Discrimination may result in social exclusion. When a person internalises the negative attitudes and interactions they experience, it can cause feelings of shame, hopelessness, low self-esteem and despair. Together, stigma and discrimination can create barriers that deprive people of equal access to housing, employment, education and health services.
In the context of blood borne virus, stigma and discrimination are driven by a range of factors including outdated ideas and misinformation about transmission and transmissibility, but also because blood-borne viruses are often associated with activities that society places value judgements on.
Stigma and discrimination are also driven by the language used when talking about BBVs. The words we choose can have a powerful impact on our conversations with and about the people who access our services and can influence our attitudes, beliefs, and behavior toward them, including the care decisions that service providers make. Not only does language influence our response, but informs public perceptions, and can shape the way others feel about themselves.
Using language that is stigmatising can reinforce negative stereotypes, and can make people feel judged, unwelcome, or unsafe - leading to less engagement with health services that provide BBV prevention, testing and treatment options.
Conversely, subtle but significant changes to the words and phrases we use makes our language respectful and empowering. Respectful language makes people feel valued and can make a positive difference or how people think, feel and act.
While working towards using respectful language, it can be helpful to acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all approach we can use to ensure that we are using the right words. There are, however, some overarching considerations that can help.
Person first language uses language that prioritises someone’s identity as a human being before anything else: a person who uses drugs (instead of drug user)
Here are two kinds of inclusive language.
1 - Language which is free from words and phrases that reflect value judgements or reinforce stereotypes: Used injecting equipment instead of dirty needles.
2 - Language which neither deliberately or inadvertently excludes nor assumes features of a person’s identity: partner instead of boyfriend or girlfriend.
See page 13 for some more examples.
Keep in mind, this isn’t a definitive set of rules to apply across the board. Respectful language depends on the individual and the context. What’s important is to try to ensure your language doesn’t contribute to further stigma. If in doubt, ask!
By Isaac Tye
Tamanian gothic
GOTHIC LITERATURE IS A LITERARY STYLE THAT FOCUSES ON THE SUBLIME; OR, THE INDESCRIBABLE FEAR AND PLEASURE OF HORROR. IT DOES THIS BY EXAMINING THE TRANSGRESSIVE, THE TABOO, AND THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE EARTH ITSELF.
It has often been the refugee of writers on the outside - women, LGBT people, and Irish authors were all among the founders of the genre, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Perhaps they understood being outsiders best.
“There is something at work in my soul which I do not understand”, wrote the bisexual twenty year old Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel Frankenstein - the famous story of a creature who is given life against his will and then rejected by all humanity, but seeks only to be loved.
Tasmanian gothic is a genre that transports these tropes to our own landscape. The gnarled trees of Transylvania or Styria are substituted for the rainforests and peaks of Tasmania; the wild North Sea is substituted by our own Bass Strait, and gothic castles are replaced by towering, ruined penitentiaries.
In Tasmania there is a dark history we all contend with. A history of war, enslavement, horrific abuse, and discrimination. Tasmanian gothic is a way for writers, and their readers, to contend with it all and come to grips with the shadow that pervades the history of the landscape we live in
Tasmanian gothic is not the only way to process these complex emotions. It is however, one that has struck a note for me. It is too easy to make Tasmania out to be a slideshow of horrific events. As LGBT people, there is a painful past for us to come to terms with.
When people think of gothic, they may only see the shadowy vampires and ruined castles. But gothic literature is fundamentally romantic. It requires belief in love and hope and it has a way of dealing with the darkness, and revealing something more. The hero often unveils the shadow and by grappling with the things others have refused to address, perhaps bringing some light to the topic.
If gothic literature allows us to examine the human soul, then Tasmanian gothic examines the soul of Tasmania.
Isaac’s top three suggestions for anyone wanting to explore Tasmanian gothic:
• Sing Fox to Me by Sarah Kanake
• The Hunter - 2011 movie
• The Alphabet of Light & Dark by Danielle Wood
By Niamh Schofield
Tassie’s own engaeus
I WAS SEVEN. I HAD JUST GOTTEN MY FIRST PAIR OF GLASSES AND WITH THEM I SAW MINDLESS CARNAGE. THE DISMEMBERED CORPSES OF HARMLESS YABBIES WERE EVERYWHERE, SHINY OBSIDIAN PINCERS AND DELICATE HEADS AND TAILS DISCARDED ON THE CONCRETE LIKE CRUNCHIE WRAPPERS USED AS CONDOMS.
I would never have helped dig them up from the ankle deep mud if I had known this was how they’d end up. I never would have chopped up that rubbery snake carcass and helped stuff it into a green net. I thought we were only temporarily keeping them in that bright yellow bucket.
My uncle used a nerve tickling trick to make them stand on their heads, and he guffawed when I tried to grab them from under his thumb. I sobbed for hours. It was the first real experience of adult betrayal I had ever endured.
“You’re cruel! You’re all so cruel.”
Mum had to take me home so I’d calm down.
Shortly after this, we first moved to Tasmania
But for me, the tour didn’t start until he explained the echoing burbles in the cave, and the black flowing water beside shambled wooden paths:
“In this ancient cave, there are Tasmania’s very own endemic crayfish - or ‘yabbies’, as yew mainlanders call ‘em. They are huge and fat and delicious. But, ermm, because they are endangered according to our Government, we are no longer allowed to hunt ‘em. Good news for the yabbies. Some of ‘em are hundreds of years old!”
for my Dad to find work on a farm. Our new neighbours took us to Gunns Plains Caves, only four kilometres away from our house. Bulging stalactites and marble formations that looked like a curvaceous lady’s thighs, dripping with sweat. A huge quartz wedding cake, iced with dripping, glittery, cascading rock. Sheets of stone that looked like flesh.
Our tour guide had an explosive white beard with creamy yellow patches around his mouth and nose, and a deep smokers crackle. He turned off his torch, so we could see the hundreds of dimly neon glow worms glued to the pocked ceiling of the cave. This was the real wow-we-are-in-a-cave moment for most of the visitors.
I had been remarkably underwhelmed by Tasmania up until this point. When I heard this, my mind burst with possibilities. A place where you weren’t allowed to kill yabbies! Surely this must also be a place of unmatched social and political progression. When I discovered that I was gay, I found out that this wasn’t necessarily true. Like a burrowing crayfish, I had to dig into the hollows of the earth to hide the most shining parts of myself. For years, I had flowing uncut hair in an attempt to prove my femininity. One summer, it became dreadlocked because I was lazy and I had to cut it all off. I felt like I had been dug up by hunters for my flesh. Every part of my being was exposed, and I heard whispers both from others and from the throbbing inside of my skull. I slipped a love letter into the head girls locker. Because of my partially bald scalp, everybody knew it was me. Me and the yabbies, desperately but unsuccessfully skittering through tunnels in the Gunns Plains cave. Hiding, even though everybody knew we were there.
Much later, I came back to Hobart for University. The queer community dug me out of the ground. And instead of eating me, they protected me. They knew I was vulnerable. They invited me out and made Hobart my home. I found out that Tasmania’s freshwater burrowing crayfish are called Engaeus, which sounds kind of like En-Gay-Us. With yabbies like this, how could Tasmania not be my home.
Alone in the dark
IN AN UNCEREMONIOUS FIZZLE OF BLACK, WHITE, AND YELLOW FIREWORKS, MY SCREEN FLICKERED OFF.
I HAD BEEN MIDWAY THROUGH WRITING A MESSAGE WHEN MY SMARTPHONE DECIDED TO DIE AFTER THREE YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE TO MY WHIMS. THE CONSTANT TAPPING, SCROLLING, WATCHING, AWKWARDCONVERSATION-AVOIDING; THIS DEVICE HAD SEEN EVERY SIDE OF ME. MY ANGRY NOTES, MY CRYING POETRY, MY EMAILS THAT WERE FIRMLY POLITE, MY MEMES, MY SELFIES, LINGERIE SHOOTS AND MUSHROOM PHOTOGRAPHY.
IT HELD ONTO EVERYTHING IN MY PRIVATE, SAFE DOMAIN. EVERYTHING I AM AS A PERSON WAS STORED INSIDE THAT GLISTENING RECTANGLE.
And in that moment, as my own frazzled, mortified reflection stared back at me on a blackened screen, I felt the disconnect.
I don’t want to sound like a wasted millennial youth here but being separated from the lifeline of a smartphone is hard. It isn’t just boredom-scrolling that keeps me going. The internet is my world. It always has been. All my forums and message boards, my friends, my social spaces - what was I missing? Without my online identity, who am I?
More and more people my age seem to be embracing this disconnected life. Even if it means they are left out of party invites, Zoom meetups, and have their birthdays forgotten. But they adjust to their self-imposed bygone era of texting someone if they need them and writing details down in a notebook. Funny. I can’t imagine.
For those of us who can’t, who we are online is so significant that the concept of being without it is truly terrifying. Our personas and characters online are so significant - this is especially true for some of us folks in the queer community. We are so much safer online, to chat and to meet new people and to just fit in for once. Online communities are so significant to minority groups. It cannot be understated.
I held my dying device in my hand and clicked the screen on and off again, hoping for something, anything. That night was the first time I’d been fully offline in a decade, I’d guess.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so alone.
Working It Out staff in N & NW Tas
Working It Out is pleased to announce that we now have two new, dedicated staff members located in both the north and north west after a consultation process at the start of this year, and then a delay because of COVID-19.
Our two new workers are Mason Reid-Munro and Tess Moodie, both of whom will work part-time, approximately two days per week. The role of the LGBTIQ+ Community Workers will be to build strong partnerships in their
respective regions, and to provide support to individuals and groups.
Mason and Tess will also be assisting with our Working It Out Together Program as we continue to experience the impact of the pandemic.
At night when everyone is asleep Tess is attempting to complete a Bachelor Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and fighting their sausage dog for a spot on the couch.
MASON REID-MUNRO
LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITY WORKERNORTH
E: Mason@workingitout.org.au
M: 0438 346 122
Mason was born and raised on the south coast of NSW and a love of all things beach, ocean and sport continues to this day. He was assigned female at birth and began a social transition at 15 years old and identifies as transgender. Mason initially started a chef apprenticeship but the passion for working and supporting people, especially young people, meant a change in career and studies to Youth Work and Community Services. Mason has worked supporting people with disabilities both as a support worker and a therapy assistant both in NSW and Tasmania after moving here with some of his family a few years ago. Mason supports people who are transgender or gender diverse through support services and organisations that he is associated with. He continues to have a strong commitment and passion for advocating and supporting all people in the LGBTIQ+ community, their families, friends and allies.
In his spare time, you can find him listening to music (and missing the live concerts that he loved going to before the pandemic), walking through the bush or along the beach, camping with his brother, gardening and tinkering on the family property and hopes to visit family and friends in NSW.
TESS MOODIE
LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITY WORKERNORTH WEST
E: Tess@workingitout.org.au
M: 0455 031 262
Tess was born and bred in Smithton and lives on an organic farm in the far north west of Tasmania. Tess spent their 20’s and early 30’s working in admin, then later retrained as a professional counsellor. They have worked in private practice and as a sexual assault counsellor.
In the past they have sat on the Board of Engender Equality, Autism Tasmania and the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation.
They also work part-time for Engender Equality as a project co-ordinator for the Advocates for Change (media advocacy and public speaking by survivors of family and sexual violence).
Tess’ passion lies in social justice and advocacy for people living with diversity, the LGBTIQ+ community, disability, and reducing sexual and family violence.
NSP OUTLETS
PRIMARY
Northwest
Youth and Family Focus Inc
62 Stewart Street Devonport
Anglicare 6 Strahan Street Burnie
South
Jordan River Services Inc.
6 Bowden Drive Bridgewater
Anglicare 436 Main Road Glenorchy
Anglicare 18 Watchorn Street Hobart
Clarence Community Health Centre 18-22 Bayfield Street Rosny
North
Salvation Army 111 Elizabeth Street Launceston
SECONDARY
Northwest
Burnie Community House
24 Wiseman Street Burnie
North West Regional Hospital
23 Brickport Road Burnie
King Island District Hospital and Health Centre
35 Edwards Street Currie
Devonport Community Health Centre 23 Steele Street Devonport
Rosebery Community Hospital Hospital Road Rosebery
Smithton District Hospital
74 Brittons Road Smithton
Wyndarra Centre Inc.
43 Smith Street Smithton
South
The Link 57 Liverpool Street Hobart
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre 56 Patrick Street Hobart
Jordan River Services - Gagebrook Community Centre 191 Lamprill Circuit Gagebrook
Tasmanian Council on Aids, Hepatitis and Related Diseases 319 Liverpool Street Hobart
North
Cape Barren Community Health Centre
5 Everett Court Cape Barren Island
Flinders Island Multi-Purpose Centre James Street Flinders Island
Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Inc 16 West Street Lady Barron
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre 182 Charles Street Launceston
Ravenswood Community Health Centre 39-41 Lambert Street Ravenswood
St Helens District Hospital 10 Annie Street St Helens
VENDING MACHINES
Northwest
40-48 Best Street, DevonportGround level, Multi-level carpark
South
Anglicare 18 Watchorn Street Hobart
North
Invermay Local Post Office 52 Invermay Road Invermay
Salvation Army 111 Elizabeth Street Launceston
Youngtown Pharmacy 369 Hobart Road Youngtown
These NSP locations have been reproduced from the DHHS webpage.
NSP PHARMACIES
NORTH
West Tamar Pharmacy, Beaconsfield
Bicheno Pharmacy, Bicheno
Bridport Pharmacy, Bridport
Healthpoint Pharmacy, Campbell Town
Amcal Pharmacy, Deloraine
George Town Pharmacy
Capital Chemist, King Meadows
Priceline Pharmacy, Launceston
Amcal Pharmacy, Legana
Chemmart Pharmacy, Longford
Longford Pharmacy, Longford
Capital Chemist, Mowbray Heights
Capital Chemist, Newstead
Chemmart Pharmacy, Ravenswood
Galloway’s Pharmacy, Scottsdale
St Helens Pharmacy, St Helens
St Marys Pharmacy, St Marys
Westbury Pharmacy, Westbury
Young Town Pharmacy, Young Town
NORTH WEST
Bolands Pharmacy, Burnie
Pharmacy One, Burnie
Wilkinson’s Pharmacy, Burnie
Chemmart Pharmacy, Upper Burnie
Healthpoint Pharmacy, Burnie
King Island Pharmacy, Currie
Mersey Pharmacy, East Devonport
Coventry’s Pharmacy, Latrobe
Penguin Pharmacy, Penguin
Turnbull’s Pharmacy, Sheffield
Smithton Pharmacy, Smithton
Somerset Pharmacy, Somerset
Strahan Pharmacy, Strahan
Priceline Pharmacy, Ulverstone
Peter Thompson’s Pharmacy, Ulverstone
Westside Pharmacy, Ulverstone
Dixon’s Pharmacy, Wynyard
Healthpoint Pharmacy, Wynyard
Zeehan Pharmacy, Zeehan
SOUTH
Bellerive Quay Pharmacy, Bellerive
Rhys Jones Pharmacy, Bellerive
Priceline Pharmacy, Bridgewater
Brighton Pharmacy, Brighton
Bruny Island Pharmacy, Bruny Island
Chigwell Pharmacy, Chigwell
Claremont Pharmacy, Claremont
Derwent Park Pharmacy, Derwent Park
Chemmart Pharmacy, Dodges Ferry
Dover Pharmacy, Dover
Geeveston Pharmacy, Geeveston
Elizabeth Hope Priceline, Glenorchy
Central Advantage Pharmacy, Glenorchy
Priceline Pharmacy, Hobart Mall
Davey St. Discount Pharmacy, Hobart
Your Hobart Chemist, Hobart
Shoreline Amcal Pharmacy, Howrah
Wentworth Pharmacy, Howrah
Huonville Pharmacy, Huonville
Priceline Pharmacy, Kingston
Terry White Chemist, Kingston
Chemist Outlet, Kingston
Kingborough Medical Centre Pharmacy
Lauderdale Pharmacy, Lauderdale
Amcal Pharmacy, Lenah Valley
Village Chemmart, Lindisfarne
Rosetta Pharmacy, Montrose
Amcal Max Pharmacy, Moonah
Amcal Community Pharmacy, New Norfolk
New Norfolk Pharmacy, New Norfolk
Friendly Care Chemmart, New Town
Amcal Pharmacy, North Hobart
Tasman Pharmacy, Nubeena
Risdon Vale Pharmacy, Rison Vale
Eastlands Priceline Pharmacy, Rosny Park
Discount Pharmacy, Sandy Bay
Magnet Court Chemmart, Sandy Bay
Healthpoint Pharmacy, Snug
Chemmart Pharmacy, Sorell
Chemist Warehouse, Sorell
Sorell Plaza Pharmacy, Sorell
South Arm Community Pharmacy, South Arm
Capital Chemist, South Hobart
Swansea Pharmacy, Swansea
Triabunna Pharmacy, Triabunna
Warrane Pharmacy, Warrane
Amcal Pharmacy, West Hobart
SIGNPOST
A guide to inclusive organisations in Tasmania
Alison Standen
Arbonne Independent
Consultant Arwen Dyer
Bronwyn’s Driving Instruction
City Organics
Colony 47
Danu Herbs
David O’Byrne
Ella Haddad MP
Equal Opportunity Tasmania
Eye Am Hair
Fiori Florist
FRIENDZ LGBTIQ SOCIAL GROUP
Hamlet
Hobart Cat Café
Hobart Out Tennis Inc
Holyoake
Hospice volunteers South
inside Hobart
Joyous Celebrations
Junction Motel
Lindisfarne Psychology & Wellbeing Centre
Mr. Good Guy Bar + Asian Kitchen
Mures Tasmania
Positive Solutions
Pulse Youth Health
QTAS Arts
Tasmania
RFT - Destination Wellbeing
Scots Memorial Church
Sensual Potential
State Bookstore
State Cinema
TASCAHRD
The Art of Tea Bouteaque
The Hobart Bookshop
The Link Youth Health Service
The Page And Cup
Tranquility Float and Reflexology Hobart
Youth Arts & Recreation Centre
NORTH:
Attitude Counselling
CVGT Launceston
Deloraine House Inc
Launceston Community Legal Centre
May Shaw Health Centre
Positive Solutions
Respect at Work
The Blue Door
NORTH-WEST:
Burnie City Council
Connect4Life
Dr Claire Jensen
Tess Moodie Therapies
Weddings For Everyone
Youth, Family & Community Connections
TASMANIA WIDE:
Anglicare Tasmania
Carers Tasmania
Community and Public Sector Union
Council on the Ageing Engender Equality
Equal Together
Family Violence Counselling and Support Service
Mental Health Council of Tasmania
Rainbow Communities
Tasmania
St John Ambulance
Statewide Sexual Health Service
Tasmania Police
TasPride
Transgender Tasmania
Uniting AgeWell
UTAS Ally Network
Working It Out
SERVICES DIRECTORY
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TASMANIA
https://equalopportunity.tas.gov.au
Ph 1300 305 062
The office of the anti-discrimination commissioner
SCARLET ALLIANCE TASMANIAN SEX WORKER OUTREACH PROJECT
outreachtas@scarletalliance.org.au
Ph 0451 835 897 www.scarletalliance.org.au
TASPRIDE
www.taspride.com
Celebrating and uniting the Tasmanian LGBTIQQ community
WORKING IT OUT www.workingitout.org.au
Sexuality and gender support and counselling
SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICE
http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/sexualhealth
Toll Free: 1800 675 859
Clinic 60 - 60 Collins St Hobart
Ph 03 6166 2672
Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (drop in on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday mornings)
Clinic 34 - 34 Howick St Launceston
Ph 03 6777 1371
Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (drop in on Thursday mornings)
Devonport - Ph 03 6777 1371 by appointment only
Counselling, support, referrals, STI/HIV testing and PrEP prescriptions
TASCAHRD - TASMANIAN COUNCIL ON AIDS, HEPATITIS & RELATED DISEASES
www.redthread.org.au
Ph 1800 005 900
TAS POLICE LGBTIQ LIAISON OFFICERS
www.police.tas.gov.au
Ph 03 6230 2111 (Hobart)
Ph 03 6336 7000 (Launceston)
Ph 03 6434 5211 (North West)
ATDC TAS – THE ALCOHOL, TOBACCO & OTHER DRUGS COUNCIL OF TASMANIA
http://www.atdc.org.au/ Advocating and initiatives
THE LINK YOUTH HEALTH SERVICE & HEAD SPACE FOR PEOPLE AGED 12-24
http://www.thelink.org.au
57 Liverpool St Hobart | Ph 03 6231 2927
Mon – Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Counselling, outreach, case management, support for mental and sexual health, alcohol and drugs (incl NSP), family planning
HOBART COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE
www.hobartlegal.org
166 Macquarie Street, Hobart | Ph 03 6223 2500
Shop 3, Covehill Fair, Bridgewater
Ph 03 6263 4755
SENSUAL POTENTIAL RICHELLE MENZIES
richelle@sensualpotential.com.au www.sensualpotential.com.au
Ph 0408 843 221
Sexologist offering relationship and sexuality education and counselling
FAMILY PLANNING TASMANIA
http://www.fpt.asn.au
421 Main Rd Glenorchy
Ph 03 6273 9117 | Mon - Fri 9:00 am – 5.00 pm
269 Wellington St Launceston
Ph 03 6343 4566 | Mon - Fri 9:00 am – 5.00 pm
1 Pine Ave Burnie
Ph 03 6431 7692 (Mon, Wed and Thurs)
Contraception and pregnancy counselling, sexual health checks, pap smears, information and referrals.
To have your service listed in this directory contact TasCAHRD on 03 6234 1242 or Health@tascahrd.org.au
