Vol. 18 No. 16
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
HELPING HANDS: Maddi Ostapiw and Loucas Vettos will launch a Wimmera Pride Project later this month to support the region’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. Picture: KELLY LAIRD
Pride project push T
BY SARAH SCULLY
wo Wimmera residents will launch a project with the aim to secure a specialised mental health worker for the region’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. Loucas Vettos and Maddi Ostapiw will launch the Wimmera Pride Project in Horsham later this month to educate Wimmera and Mallee residents about the issues facing the GLBTI community. Beyondblue research shows nonheterosexual people face up to twice as much abuse or violence than their heterosexual counterparts. It also shows GLBTI people have an
IN THIS ISSUE
increased risk of depression and anxiety, substance abuse, self-harming and suicidal thoughts. Ms Ostapiw said she and Mr Vettos hoped to reduce stigma and discrimination of GLBTI people and improve their mental health outcomes. “Our long-term goal is to have a paid mental health worker equipped to deal with these sorts of issues,” she said. “At the moment there are no services specifically geared to the GLBTI community. We need someone who can specifically address these issues.” Ms Ostapiw said the project was in its early stages, but was quickly gaining momentum. “In mid-September we wrote to
Gender and Sexuality Commissioner Rowena Allen, because there is nothing here for us,” she said. Ms Ostapiw said she and Mr Vettos approached Ms Allen following Member for Mallee Andrew Broad’s strong public stance against legalising same-sex marriage earlier this year. “We weren’t happy about some of the comments he made,” she said. Ms Ostapiw said Ms Allen was extremely supportive, and pointed them to links and people they could go to for help.
Launch
Mr Vettos said he was nervous, but excited, about launching the project. “I think these days, even though we
live in a conservative part of the state, people are more curious about the gay community,” he said. “When someone says ‘I’m gay’, it doesn’t just affect that person. It has a ripple effect through their family and friends and wider community.” Mr Vettos said he hoped the group would run monthly confidential meetings for members of the Wimmera and Mallee’s GLBTI community. “If it goes well, we can look at opening it up to friends and family members,” he said. “Maddi and I are also happy to give up our time to meet people one-onone if they do not feel comfortable coming to a group meeting.”
Mr Vettos said the Wimmera Pride Project had strong support from Wimmera Uniting Care. Wimmera Uniting Care community mental health services manager Leigh Cooksley praised the pair’s initiative. “We are 100 percent behind the group, without a doubt,” he said. “While we are not funded for a specific mental health worker for the GLBTI community, we do see ourselves as inclusive of the whole community. “We offer support to anyone and everyone, but the fact is the GLBTI community faces a lot of discrimination and stigma.” • Continues page 3.
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