Australian Initiatives: GLBT Youth Suicide Problems Prevention

A related article: - Better dead than gay? Depression, suicide ideation and attempt among a sample of gay and straight-identified males aged 18 to 24 by Jonathan Nicholas and John Howard, Youth Studies Australia, Vol.17(4), 1998, 28-33. (Must scroll to locate abstract. (Archive Copy)

Another Study: Young gay men and suicide: A report of a study exploring the reasons which young men give for suicide ideation by Ron Macdonald and Trudi Cooper, Youth Studies Australia, Vol.17(4), 1998, 23-27. (Must scroll to locate abstract N/A.) (Archive Copy) (Highlights)

Kelly B, Raphael B, Judd F, Perdices M, Kernutt G, Burnett P, Dunne M, Burrows G (1998). Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and HIV infection. Psychosomatics, 39(5), 405-15. (A PubMed "abstract")

Highlights: The lifetime suicide attempt rate for HIV-positive males and HIV-negative males is 21% and 29%, respectively.

Note: In 1998, a Swiss study also reported elevated lifetime "suicide attempt" incidences for a similar sample of gay and bisexual males. See "europe.htm" page.

"is supporting a number of innovative best practice programmes to trial new models of support for young people who have attempted suicide or who are otherwise assessed to be at ongoing risk." Projects funded include (among a number of listed items):

.....providing specialist supports to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender young people.

"Reports regarding the outcomes of these projects will be developed and included in the final report of the national youth suicide prevention programmes. Training packages based on the outcomes of some of the projects will be developed and reviewed in the resource guide."

- Gay and lesbian young people's stories on the management of identity. Workshop by Mic Emslie, RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), Victoria. (Abstract N/A) (Archive Copy) - Freedom Victoria Project: How we can promote the development of gay, lesbian and bisexual inclusive rural youth services. by Heather Stewart and Row Allen (Abstract N/A) (Archive Copy): Home Page.

Bisexuals at high risk for mental health problems and suicide: Homosexuals have poorer mental health than heterosexuals. Study: "Sexual orientation and mental health: results from a community survey of young and middle-aged adults." Full Text. - PubMed Abstract. Study results used as part of a presentation of 'higher risk" status for ndividuals noo belonging to socially constructed categories: Link to PowerPoint Presentation. - Towards a sociocultural analysis of youth suicide: Researching the everyday narratives of urban and regional communities (PDF Download).

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Hidden in the Crowd: The Need for Documenting Links between Sexuality and Suicidal Behaviours among Young People, 2003 (PDF Download) - Gay and Lesbian Suicide (including youth suicide). - Rural suicide and same-sex attracted youth: issues, interventions and implications for rural counsellors (PDF Download) (HTML Copy) Rural and Remote Health (online), 2003: no. 222. Abstract: "Recent research into same-sex attracted youth (SSAY) suicide and rural youth suicide suggests there may be an association between the two. A literature review explores this proposal. While contributing issues to rural SSAY suicide, such as homophobia, isolation, availability of information, and acknowledgement of issues are discussed, little hard evidence is found to support the the rural and SSAY suicide connection. Further and on-going research is recommended into this under-represented topic."

Suicide Prevention Australia 8th Annual Conference 2001 - A Human Odyssey (6 - 9 April 2001) - Session (1) "Suicide in the Gay & Lesbian Community" - Jonathan Nicholas: The Reach Out Program, Sydney - (90 minute workshop): The incidences of suicide in the gay and lesbian community are dramatically high. Many do not have expertise in counselling in this area. The first in-depth Australian research into completed suicide within this community sampling more than 400 people to the age of 30 has just been completed with some dramatic findings. This workshop is a must for anyone working with young people. - Self Harm and Suicide Risk for Same-Sex Attracted Young People: A Family Perspective (Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (AeJAMH), Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2002: PDF Download).

Self Harm and Suicide Risk for Same-Sex Attracted Young People: A Family Perspective (Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (AeJAMH), Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2002: PDF Download). - Suicide Prevention Australia 8th Annual Conference 2001 - A Human Odyssey (6 - 9 April 2001) (Must join group to view web page)- Session (1) "Suicide in the Gay & Lesbian Community" - Jonathan Nicholas: The Reach Out Program, Sydney - (90 minute workshop): The incidences of suicide in the gay and lesbian community are dramatically high. Many do not have expertise in counselling in this area. The first in-depth Australian research into completed suicide within this community sampling more than 400 people to the age of 30 has just been completed with some dramatic findings. This workshop is a must for anyone working with young people.

Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Ridder EM, Beautrais AL (2005). Sexual orientation and mental health in a birth cohort of young adults. Psychological Medicine, 35: 971-981 (PDF Download, Download Page): "Cohort members with a predominantly homosexual orientation had rates of mental disorder and suicidal behaviours that were between 1.5 to 12 times higher than for those with an exclusively heterosexual orientation. These associations persisted after adjustment for confounding. The associations between sexual orientation and mental health were more marked for males than females."

Suicide and Self-harm (Volume 166, Issues in Society): "Suicide is a tragedy which occurs all too often and which can prevented. This book examines Australia's suicide rate and focuses on the groups most at risk - young people; middle-aged men; Aboriginal people; gays and lesbians; people from rural and remote communities; and the elderly. This book also explores the risk factors and warning signs for people who self-harm, and for those who attempt suicide; the myths of suicide; treatments for depression; understanding suicide and developing prevention strategies; and how to deal with the grief of losing someone who has taken their own life."

Outlinks - Rural GLB Youth Network: - Summary: Sexuality & Suicide: An Investigation of Health Compromising and Suicidal Behaviours among Gay and Bisexual Male Youth in Tasmania. - An Investigation of Health compromising and Suicidal Behaviours among Gay and Bisexual Male Youth in Tasmania, Kent Fordham, 1998: "Following an earlier study which found that 10% a sample of rural 14-18 year olds report same sex attractions, a study in 1998 of a sample of rural, regional and some urban 14-18 year old same sex attracted youth by Lynne Hillier and Jenny Walsh from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University found that 46% reported verbal and physical abuse 70% of which occurred at school. 11% reported IV drug use compared to 1% of all young people. They also report higher rates of drinking and marijuana and heroin use. Only 5% of same sex attracted youth sought help from counsellors and 14% from teachers." - Full Text, Sexuality & Suicide - PDF Download) - Outlink National Gay and Lesbian Rural Youth Project. - "Rural youth suicide: the issue of male homosexuality" by Edward Green (Social Change in Rural Australia, 1996),

Ian's goal to educate kids: - Roberts, Australia's first leading sportsman to declare his homosexuality, has received hundreds of letters from youths frightened and bewildered about their sexuality. He proposed the development of an education kit to be made available in all schools. "If people read the letters I've had about kids being suicidal, and knowing people who have committed suicide, you know it wouldn't be a problem to be introduced," he said. - A challenge to the stereotypes (Ian Roberts: Finding Out, by Paul Freeman): "The social problem of homophobia, as Freeman shows, still remains, of course. Gay youth are made homeless by being thrown out by intolerant parents; gays are victims of hate crimes, verbal harassment and the assault of images of heterosexuality as “normal”. All this drives some gay youth to suicide attempts."

From XY Magazine (1995): "Young male suicide - reversing the trend." Reporting on a suicide prevention conference: "One other excellent paper, by Kenton Penley of the Second Storey Youth Health Centre in Adelaide, reported the dearth of research into the effects of heterosexism and homophobia on youth suicide rates." "But two out of 50 [papers presented] is a damming illustration of how the community of "anti-suicide workers" regards the need to ask how gender construction effects suicide rates."

Out of a group of 13 gay street kids who, by an early age, were being passed around by abusive men, only 3 survived to the age of about 30 - most by violent suicides, OD's, and AIDS. Other suicide cases are given, and the issue of mainstream suicidology problems are discussed. - Christmas can be Gay, but not Very Merry: "Youth worker Ralph Graham says that while Christmas is a hard time for many people who cannot be with their loved ones, it is particularly hard for homosexuals. Coming to terms with their sexuality and fear of rejection can be too much. The pressure is reflected in homosexual suicide statistics around the festive season... Last year Ralph received three calls from people attempting suicide in the lead-up to Christmas. All three were young men trying to come to terms with their sexuality. One had the support of his parents, another had not yet told them and the third was not comfortable with being gay, fearing rejection from his parents, family and friends." - A gay man who survived a mutual suicide pact with his lover.

Shane Hughes is a 23 year old bisexual who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. "Between the ages of 14 and 21, Shane attempted suicide several times because he could not deal with his sexuality and the feelings he was having." - How a Gay Son Finally came out to his Parents: "Mrs Hughes, who lives at Victor Harbour with husband Graham, said that after the initial shock, there was a sense of relief. He’d had suicide attempts and we didn’t understand why. We questioned ourselves." Mrs Hughes said. "...Mrs Hughes, who lives at Victor Harbour with husband Graham, said that after the initial shock, there was a sense of relief. He’d had suicide attempts and we didn’t understand why. We questioned ourselves." Mrs Hughes said... Shane Hughes is 25 and happy – but it wasn’t always the case. He recalls his primary school days, when he noticed he was attracted to boys as well as girls. "I didn’t really do anything about it until my early high school days, when I started feeling my way around, if I can put it that way," he said. "I got mixed up from there. I had a hard time of it. Maybe because it was all happening for me and I didn’t have any positive gay role models..."

Silence is where the hate grows - in reference to mainstream suicidologists avoiding "homosexuality" issues in adolescent suicide research and prevention work: "Although Casey reckons he "always knew" he was gay, he became one of the kids who was "forced into doing it". After moving to Sydney, Casey was drawn into a string of abusive "relationships"...Because of his low self-esteem borne of the silence, Casey says he was easy pickings for deeply-closeted homosexual "sick tickets" who found more pleasure in hearing screams for mercy as they held knives to the throats of other parents' sons than in real and open love... Starved of real love and left with little hope, Casey, like many young gays, turned to chemical "friends" to fill the void. His only human friends became the other youngsters traded by the "sick tickets"... "Of the thirteen of us, I'm one of only three that's still alive today," Casey says. "Most of my friends blew their heads off, some of them OD'd and some of them have died from AIDS. They were all bright kids with talents and promising futures."

The Wakeup Call - Robert was sexually abused as a boy, expelled from his adopted Christian family when his homosexual orientation was discovered at age 14, survived via street prostitution in Brisbane, contracted HIV, developed AIDS, and killed himself in a way that may be deemed "an accident" by the investigating authorities. Sometimes a friend, such as Martin Worterding, may know that it was not an accident and he remains emotionally troubled because he is part of a society not deemed "innocent" with respect to such ultimately fatal outcomes.

Homosexuality and Suicide (Part 2, Part 1) by Ed Green with Margaret Appleby (From: The Suicide-Prevention Information Centre): Difficulties experienced in the 'coming out' stage..., Difficulties in the school environment..., Lack of friends and role models..., Discrimination in the workplace..., Violence towards gays and lesbians..., Problems when sexuality is hidden..., Attitudes of some religious denominations..., Isolation in rural communities..., Higher risk for AIDS..., Providing support for homosexuals..., Bibliography. (Extract from the "Suicide Awareness for Aboriginal Communities" by Margaret Appleby & Dr. Raymond King Colleen, Brown Publishers - Rose Education)

Melbourne Herald Sun (27/12/'99): Boys learn to be homophobic in the primary school playground, an academic says. "...homophobia peaks in the mid to late teens, with boys in Years 8 and 9 reporting they use the word "poofter" 25 to 50 times a day... "At that age it is extremely powerful - in fact 'poofter' was ranked as the worst thing that a boy could be called." - Anti-homophobia plan may curb suicide rate: (Alternate Link, must scroll) "It started after surveys found bullying of same-sex attracted students was rife. A study of 1200 rural high school students found 11 per cent of teens aged 14-16 were attracted to the same sex. Another study of same-sex attracted teens found 13 per cent had suffered physical abuse and 46 per cent had suffered verbal abuse. Nearly 70 per cent of the abuse happened at school: 60 per cent by other students, 10 per cent by friends and 3 per cent by teachers. "It is total bullying," said Mr Rojas-Morales. "It begins at primary school."

Sydney Morning Herald (29/12/'99): Students admit same sex attraction. Smith A, Lindsay J, Rosenthal D (1999).Same-sex attraction, drug injection and binge drinking among Australian adolescents. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23(6), 643-6. 6% of grade 10-12 students report having same-sex attractions and are at higher risk for a number of problems. - 11 Year Old Youngest In Australia To Undergo TG Therapy: "The suicide rate amongst transgenders is so high (43 per cent of transgenders in Australia have committed suicide or have made an attempt) and I don't want a dead child." (Alternate Link)

The abuse of a gay male adolescent in a Melbourne school is implicated in suicide. A newspaper, The Age, printed a related article (Nov, 1998 - not available online) resulting in two letters to the editor which outline the highly negative situation existing in schools for gay and lesbian youth. - From a May, 1998 "The Age" article: "Parents need to ask themselves if they would prefer our schools to deal sensitively with homophobia, or read about a child's anguish in a suicide note." From the Hunter Institute of Mental Health: An innovative mental health education program, servicing the Hunter Region and Northern New South Wales - Module 10: Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide. - Module 10 available as PDF Download.

New Zealand: - Homo! Poofter! Faggot! Youth Focus Article (Must Scroll) : A 17-year-old gay male describes his adolescent environment, a life a many suicide attempts, the uselessness of psychiatrists (at least for his problems), and a bleak outlook for the future "I've been rejected enough by family in my life, so losing friends would have just thrown me," he explained. But school was not easy for him. "Along with friendship break-ups at school, being gay just topped it off." He attempted suicide over a dozen times. "I lose count! I swallowed half a dozen different pills, drank nearly every household chemical we had, and slit my wrists."" - Youth at Risk: "Homelessness, Sexual Abuse, Family Rejection HIV: All are contributing to Gay Youth suicides." - An Australian expert reports that New Zealand has done very little to stop young gays and lesbians from committing suicide. - Gay Catholics Challenge Archbishop Pell on Youth Suicide.

New Zealand: - In Ya Face - Like, for example, the mis-conception that sexuality has nothing to do with some people killing themselves. I disagree. Large numbers of gays and lesbians have grappled with the thought of putting a gun to their head, or jumping off the bridge. Why? Because being gay, lesbian or transgendered in Aotearoa, despite the changes in the past decade, is still a bloody hard thing to be. It's incredibly hard, and the pressures are such that it pushes too many youths, literally, off the edge... Let's get very real, very quickly, and start to recognize that a large proportion of youth suicides may be attributed to the pressures of being gay or lesbian.

New Zealand: New study to eventually be ready for peer review and likely publication - "A New Zealand study being conducted by researchers at the Dunedin School of Medicine (for information please contact Shyamala Nada-Raja - Email: shyamala@gandalf.otago.ac.nz) will determine the association between sexual orientation (based on a measure of sexual attraction) and a range of behaviours indicative of deliberate self-harm (suicidal, non-suicidal intent). The study is based on the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (DMHDS). The findings are expected to complement those reported by Fergusson and colleagues (1999) in the Archives of General Psychiatry." (Cited from a March 21, 2000 email from Shyamala Nada-Raja written in response to a request made by Pierre Tremblay for related information.). - The study is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(3): 541–546 (March, 2003): "Sexual Orientation and Self-Harm in Men and Women" by Keren Skegg, Shyamala Nada-Raja, Nigel Dickson, Charlotte Paul, and Sheila Williams. Lifetime suicide attempt incidences for young adult males: Heterosexual (6%), Minor Homosexuality (16%), Significant Homosexuality (25%). For females: Heterosexual (9%), Minor Homosexuality (11%), Significant Homosexuality (33%). Link to abstract (Must Locate) at American Journal of Psychiatry web site. PubMed Abstract.

Factors influencing the risk of suicide for gay and lesbian people include (NZ Site): (Home Page) - Awareness of being gay or lesbian and first sexual experience - Total rejection by family over coming out - Rejection by society - Promiscuity and unsafe sex - Homophobic assaults and cruel taunts. - Risk Factors for Youth Suicide: "Sexual Orientation: There is growing international evidence to confirm that young gay, lesbian and bisexual people have higher rates of suicidal behaviour, arising from lack of support for their sexual orientation and the discrimination they face."

Suicide in New Zealand II: a review of risk factors and prevention (Annette Beautrais, New Zealnad Medical Journal, 2003): "Psychosocial stresses... Sexual orientation Clear linkages have been established between sexual orientation and suicide attempt behaviour. These findings have been reported for New Zealand, with results indicating that young people of gay, lesbian and bisexual orientation had rates of suicidal ideation and attempt that were over five times those of heterosexual youth."

Anti-Gay School / Society Situation In Australia And Homophobia in Smaller Cities and Towns.

What do they think? Queerly raised and queer-friendly students - by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (Youth Studies Australia, 19(4), 2000 (December): 34-40. Abstract: "Homophobia and heterosexism still rule in most classrooms and playgrounds although an increasing number of children and young people are being raised to be queer friendly. Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli discusses the insights of primary and secondary queer friendly students into the questions of why homophobia is still an issue among student populations; what kind of anti-homophobic strategies work; what strategies and approaches are required; and what they believe their role is in a whole-school approach to homophobia and heteronormativity."

Addressing homophobia and sex-based discrimination in schools - by Darryl Murray (Youth Studies Australia, 20(1), 2001. Abstract: "Homophobia in secondary schools in Australia has a major impact on the health and well-being of many young people. However, with the help of programs such as Family Planning Queensland's Out With Homophobia Workshop, teachers can affect changes in the attitudes of their students and contribute to organisational changes to provide a safe and non-homophobic school environment."

Book shows how homophobia starts in the schoolyard (New Release 11/11/99, University of Maryland): "In primary school, boys are likely to be accused of being a poofter if they mix with girls too often, and accused of the same thing in high school if they don't mix with them enough... homophobia peaks in the mid to late teens, with boys in years 8 and 9 reporting that they use the word 'poofter' 25 to 50 times a day. These attitudes, he said, were often an exaggerated expression of heterosexual identity, and thus effected everyone... Boys who aren't targeted by others observe what goes on and make sure they don't do anything that might be considered suspect or that would make them stand out. Masculine behaviours are exaggerated and these lead to all sorts of lifestyle and risk behaviours which endure later in life... At the furthest behaviour extreme were gay-hate murders, with some research suggesting that as many as one in four murders involving strangers in New South Wales over the last 20 years were in some way related to homophobia.

Sexuality and education: "Heterosexual dominance plays itself out in schools in many institutionalized forms; lining up girls and boys separately, gender
stereotyping, discrimination in sex education, no-action towards derogatory comments made in the school yard and so on. Some figures over half of lesbian, gay and bisexual students have been verbally abused, a fifth have been beaten up, one in ten thrown out of home, one in five attempted suicide. “the level of homophobic violence in Australia is outrageous.”

Lesbians and gays ridiculed at work: "Gay men, lesbians and transgender people are subjected to widespread sexual and physical assault in the workplace across Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, a major study has found... "The effects on individuals included increased stress, depression, illness, loss of self confidence, increased alcohol and drug intake and attempted suicide," she said." The study, called The Pink Ceiling Is Too Low, examined the work experiences of more than 900 homosexuals and found almost 60 per cent had been subjected to either assault, verbal harassment and abuse, destruction of property, ridicule and homophobic jokes.

ABC's "Four Corners" - Investigative journalism at its very best - Program Transcript: "Four Corners hears the stories of both the victims and the perpetrators of gay bashing in the north Queensland city of Townsville. Reporter Quentin McDermott also searches for the causes of the prejudice which underlies the violence... In Townsville, north Queensland, being gay can be a hazard to your safety... Basically your run-of-the-mill homophobic taunts, like, 'Faggot, poofter, um -- dung puncher'... But as in much of regional Australia, the police didn't share the community's level of concern about homophobia...

We are now able to prove there is an increase in issues of assaults, vilification and threats against homosexuals... Dangers are faced by gay communities everywhere. A recent study in Victoria reported that 70 per cent of lesbians and gay men had been abused, threatened or bashed in public... Pastor Jacobsen says he condemns violence against gays. But he seems to show little compassion for the intense difficulties faced by young gay people... But it's also a human issue and young people are being driven to harm themselves and even to kill themselves because they're being rejected by certain sections of society and because people are telling them it's wrong and because they're being bashed and violently harmed. Now, don't you accept some responsibility for that?..

Australia has one of the highest rates of male youth suicide in the industrialised world... Sometimes the worst kind of violence visited on gays can end up being the violence they do to themselves. Even high school children are at risk when they face uncontrolled homophobia from their fellow pupils... And it got to the point where I was trying to look for ways to get out of going to school, whether it be, like, you know, trying to cut up my wrists with a razor or trying to take a, you know, handful of this pill, a handful of that pill, or faking some kind of sickness or, you know, purposely falling down the stairs or something like that. I just did not want to go to school... Trust me -- it is a very terrifying experience just admitting to yourself that, yes, I am different...

Dr David Plummer: In many ways, boys who've gone through school and young adulthood who've been subjected to intensive homophobia really are victims of torture, and that, whether it's psychological torture at school by bullies and groups of boys or otherwise, we haven't given enough attention to the marginalisation, isolation, psychological trauma that these young boys have experienced. And isolation is one factor that has been linked fairly clearly into youth suicide and we've got an epidemic of it in modern Australia.

Will ran away to Sydney following an argument with his parents when he was just 14... I was only there two weeks and I was on the streets taking drugs, working on the Wall, which is where all the boys go to prostitute themselves for money... Two years ago her girlfriend died of an overdose... When I first started using I didn't think that - morphine was something that could kill me, you know? And it was just something -- I suppose something to escape from whether I was gay or not. That was an issue, so I just used drugs to forget about it because I just didn't want to think about it... Bruce is another young person who has turned his pain in on himself. In his case, the pain of homophobic abuse as a young gay man and the agony of trying to summon the courage to tell his mother he was gay... In the end, Townsville can't be said to be any more or less homophobic than anywhere else in regional Australia."

Australia: - School of Hard Knocks. - A day in the life... (Slight variations of this speech were used at a project called There's Two In Every Classroom, a project by Family Planning ACT. This project was designed to educate teachers and youth workers on queer youth issues, and come up with ideas to help combat homophobia.) - Issues for schools - The effects of Homophobia. - Homophobia. - School's Out: We're all about letting gay, lesbian and bisexual high school students know that they are not alone. - The issue of gay books in schools. -"Pooftah", "Wanker", "Girl" Homophobic harassment and violence in schools (From: Anti Violence Council (AVC), Brisbane - Why Must Teachers Remain Closeted? Parents need to recognize that homosexual students need role models too. - High schools pressured to provide gay material N/A. - Bashed and bashed again: enough is enough: "When I reflect upon being called "poofter" nearly every day at school, when I think about having to move schools, losing friends and suffering rejection by family members..." - Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Support Materials Section C. - Anger on school's gay plan: Education authorities have been accused of instructing all Victorian government school teachers to "celebrate" homosexuality in the classroom.

What we have to say: Getting over homophobia. - Helping gay kids become part of the crowd. - Group tackles homophobia head-on: After concerns were raised by young people about sexual discrimination, the WayOut rural youth and sexual diversity project was established in 2002... The Kyneton based group has become a regular fixture at schools and forums in the area, providing a positive sexual message to its peers... Project coordinator, Sue hackney, from Cobaw community health Service said rural communities are less accepting of homosexuals which creates an unsafe environment for young people coming to terms with their sexuality. - Homosexuality message threatens young people. - Proud teens battle prejudice: "Surviving your teenage years can be a struggle for just about anyone, but imagine if that time was also spent battling to come to terms with an alternative sexual persuasion to that of most of your friends, in a social, school and community environment without any real support." - Homophobia and masculinities among young men (Lessons in becoming a straight man): a presentation to teachers, O'Connell Education Centre, Australia, 1997.

Australian Association for Research in Education: Conference papers - 1998 papers - Teacher positioning around 'homosexuality' in schools. (Homosexuality (gay and lesbian) within the school environment: Teachers' perspectives). - When we treat everybody the same we don't: Snipets of Gay and Lesbian School Experience:The need for naming names in policy. - Teaching Against Homophobia. - (1997 Abstracts) - Teaching Sexualities - Homosexuality and body image issues: teacher awareness. - Differences that matter and indifference in education. - Having what it takes: Homophobia and masculinities in educational settings in the UK and South Africa. - 1999 Papers - Dear Reader, There are 2 articles here: Are You Gay/Sir? is meant to be read first and is forthcoming in 'Melbourne Studies in Education' Are you gay/sir?: I'm not going to tell you: Towards a pedagogy of provocation. This is the paper that I presented at the AARE conference in 1999. - It's More Than a Game: Little boys, masculinities and football culture.

Sex Matters in Schools: "Schools normalise the binary gender/sex distinction between male and female, thus rendering invisible all those who might sit on the androgynous borderline between the two. This paper briefly examines institutional assumptions underlying gender identification and some of the consequences of assuming that gays, lesbians, transsexuals, transvestites, hermaphrodites, and other intersex people should present socially as either male or female." - Enabling and disabling conditions for teaching against homophobia. - Men in Primary Teaching: An Endangered Species? - Violence against teachers is increasing, but employers have done little to provide a safe workplace. Sharon Aris reports: "According to Barnes, the problem is not the lack of good anti-homophobia programs. The NSW Teachers Federation has produced a resource called the Anti-Violence Kit for all members in NSW, and can provide people who can speak and train staff in schools. The real problem is compliance: while schools are required to run anti-homophobia programs as part of their curriculum, there is no system in place to enforce this. Barnes estimates that 25 per cent of schools do it well, another 50 per cent pay lip service, and the rest ignore it completely."

We Don’t Have Any of THEM at Our School! Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student, Teacher and Parent Invisibility and Issues (PDF Download). - Homophobia and the production of shame: young people and same sex attraction (PDF Download). - Investigating the relationship between “school climate,” school-related outcomes and academic self-concept for Australian, secondary school-aged same-sex attracted youth (SSAY) (PDF Download): "These preliminary findings begin to shed some light on the school experiences of SSA students in Australia’s secondary schools. As the descriptive statistics on school climate show, both verbal and physical manifestations of homophobia occur with some frequency and teachers’ reactions in these instances are far less than ideal. As one would expect, students’ perceptions of their school climate as such is correlated with their sense of school community connection demonstrating that as the school environment is perceived as being more supportive (i.e. fewer accounts of homophobia, greater teacher intervention and greater “positivity” surrounding homosexuality), the strength of SSA students’ reported sense of connection to the school community increases. Likewise, the greater this reported sense of connection, the higher SSA students’ reports of academic self-concept become..." - ‘It’s a catch 22’: same sex attracted young people on coming out to parents (PDF Download).

Challenging Homophobia (Tasmania)... Background information, resources and activities for school and college leaders, teachers, Learning Services and other members of school communities addressing the requirements of the Department of Education's Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy: Background on homophobia, Sexuality and the Individual, Definitions relating to homophobia, Questions and answers about lesbian, gay and bisexual people, Sample student learning experiences dealing with homophobia, Resources relating to homophobia. - Just kidding? Sex-based harassment at school (New South Wales): A 107-page text for educators and carers that focuses only on sex-based harassment among students. It examines the behaviours through scenarios, explores social justice, equity and legal aspects; looks at how our talk and practice of gender relations every day makes sex-based harassment 'normal'; showcases projects in New South Wales schools; and provides ideas for eliminating the behaviour. - Duty of care to students ignored in gay school essay debate.

Shout! School's Out: An Internet resource for teachers, educators and parents. - Open Doors Youth Service Resources for Schools. - SSAFE in Schools Website: Transgender Young People. - Same Sex Attracted Youth Research, ARCSHS (LaTrobe University). - Supporting SSAQTY at school; Resources. - WayOut, Rural Victorian Youth & Sexual Diversity Project: a partnership between Cobaw Community Health Service and Gay & Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV).

Sex Worker Outreach Project: "SWOP focuses on safety, dignity, diversity and the changing needs of sex industry workers, to foster an environment which enables and affirms individual choices and occupational rights."

"Sex Work' section in Gay and homosexually active Aboriginal men in Sydney: Sex Practices.- Newsletter of the AIDS Council of South Australia Inc: Report on the Male Sex Worker Focus Group N/A.(Section on Sex Workers) - South Australian Sex Industry Network (SIN). - A profile of the clients of male sex workers in three Australian cities. - Out of a group of 13 gay street kids who, by an early age, were being passed around by abusive men, only 3 survived to the age of about 30 - most by violent suicides, OD's, and AIDS.

Marsden: passing parade of names N/A: "Those sitting in the public gallery over the 136 days this matter has been running have heard a passing parade of names in connection with under-age sexual activities revolving around Costello's, a nightclub open in the '70s and early '80s where men went to pick up young boys for sex... Others named have included Mr Tony Shenkwin, Mr Joe (Josie) Westwood, solicitor Mr Trevor Beasley and the late Mr Tony Bevan. Yesterday, former journalist Mr Simon Davies was said to have been involved in a shelter for homeless children which he would use to procure young boys. And also getting a mention yesterday was Karl Malden, the American actor famed for TV's Streets of San Francisco and his later ads for American Express where he urges the viewer: "Don't leave home without it."

Many male prostitutes mature and educated, study shows: "The University of New England study was based on the sexual encounters of 192 male prostitutes with 1,700 clients in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane." - Community Policing and On-Street Prostitution in the Kings Cross Police Patrol (PDF Download): The transsexuals prostituting themselves on-street in the Kings Cross Police Patrol area are usually aged around thirty¾considerably older than their female counterparts... The majority of adult male street prostitutes are younger than their female counterparts and their age range is between 18 and 26..." - Transsexual prostitution in New Zealand: Predominance of persons of Maori extraction.

Project supports male sex workers. "The goal of the new service is to provide male sex workers with the same resources currently available to female prostitutes working in the area. This means access to counselling and legal services and to health, safety, employment and educational advice."

Community Panel on Prostitution (PDF Download): Submission by the West Australian Branch of the Australian Association of Social Workers May 1990 - "Even though male prostitution may appear to be less frequent in this State, it may merely be 'invisible' because it has not been subject to nearly the same degree of control as applied to female prostitution in this State: Acott & Hewett (1987)."

Commercial Sex Between Men: A Prospective Diary-Based Study (Full Text) - by Victor Minichiello (Journal of Sex Research, May 2000): "The data reported in this study were collected using a diary which male sex workers (MSWs) completed after each commercial sexual encounter with a male client over a 2-week period... The instrument was developed after consultations with three sex workers' organisations: the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) in Sydney... The total number of sex workers who completed the diary over the 2-week period was 186.."

Beyer, a transsexual and male prostitute who shucked off her past to become Mayor of Carterton is now aspiring to become Wairarapa’s MP. - Men sex workers and other men who have sex with men: how do their HIV risks compare in New Zealand? "We do find the sex workers to be different, however, in their being less likely to engage in safe sex practices. We provide an explanation for why this has not lead to their having a higher rate of seropositivity." - The Sex Industry in New Zealand: A Literature Review. - New Zealand’s National Plan Of Action Against The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children. (PDF Download). NZ: Child Prostitution in New Zealand (PDF Download): "Of the 194 child prostitutes in the ECPAT NZ survey, 10% were 12 years old or under, 15% were 13 years old, 20% were 14 years old and 30% were 15 years old (Saphira, 2001). It was not known at what age they had started sex work. At least 21% were recorded as male but it is unclear whether some were transgender."

Young people more vulnerable to problems (Feb. 25, 2001): "In Fiji the number of young gay male prostitutes has also increased in recent years. Peter Sipeli, an activist with the Sexual Minorities Group in Suva, says that many boys who are rejected by their families turn to prostitution to survive. "Many young boys face total rejection from their families because of their sexuality. Their young age and their lack of life skills pushes them into prostitution," he said."

Aboriginal GLBT/Sistergirl Issues: - Gay and homosexually active Aboriginal men in Sydney. (Alternate Link) - Aboriginal Reconciliation: A statement of support from Sydney Gay & Lesbian community organizations. (Alternate Link) - For the first time, an Aboriginal float will feature in Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras parade. - Gay and homosexually active Aboriginal men in Sydney - Bibliography. - The highlight for many was the moving speech - "Black & Gay" - by Aboriginal gay man, Noel Tovey {in Sidney). - The only Aborigine and lesbian in the world. - National Indigenous Gay and Transgender Consultation Report and Sexual Health Strategy (PDF) and First National Indigenous Sistergirl Forum (PDF). - A Risky Business: Criminalising the Transmission of HIV in Australia.

Queers for Reconciliation (Alternate Link): - ANWERNEKENHE II was the second national conference for Indigenous Australian gay men and sista girls. And as Gary Lee writes, it was a time for breaking silences, making resolutions, and naming some deep-running waters. - Vast distances... Vast differences: "There have been many "explanations" for the outrageous discrepencies between the health levels of Indigenous Australians and the health of non-Indigenous people. Transgender and Queer Communities. - Young, gay, black, green and female. - Boys to Men. - Anwernekenhe is an Arrernte word, meaning “us mob”. Anwernekenhe I was the first ever gathering of Indigenous gay men and sistergirls. Coming together for the First National Indigenous Australian Gay Men and Transgender Sexual Health Conference. Participants gathered together on the lands of the Arrernte people at Hamilton Downs, Central Australia in 1994, sharing their concerns and experiences of sexual health and well-being: Anwernekenhe I, Hamilton Downs, 1994 (PDF) and Anwernekenhe II, Tambourine Mountain, 1998 (PDF).

Anwernekenhe IV, fourth national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay, sistergirl and transgender HIV/AIDS – sexual health conference: "The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health & Blood Borne Virus Strategy 2005 – 2008, identifies Australian indigenous gay men, sistergirls, transgender and men who have sex with men as a priority group for HIV/AIDS and sexual health responses. The majority of HIV transmission of indigenous Australians’ is attributed to male-to-male sex." - Western Australian Aboriginal Sexual Health Strategy 2005–2008 (2005: (PDF Download). - Aboriginal health on the road to nowhere with unfunded policies.

ANWERNEKENHE III (Third National indigenous Gay, Sistergirl and Transgender HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health Conference: PDF Download) Strengthening Communities Through Prevention – Peer Education & Partnerships: "Day two of conference proceedings provided an Indigenous gay, sistergirl and transgender only stream, giving participants a confidential and supportive cultural space to discuss specific Indigenous gay, sistergirl and transgender community business. This was well received by all delegates and recommended for all future forums. Two of the most significant issues discussed at Anwernekenhe III were that of injecting drug use and child sexual abuse... - Breaking The Silence: Indigenous, Gay, Transgender, Sistergirl Sexual Abuse Workshop (by Gary Lee): "Our workshop on sexual abuse was about ‘breaking the silence’, and about giving ourselves permission to talk about our experiences, without feeling like there was something wrong with us. It is also about the community acknowledging that there is a problem. We hope it will force the community to confront the reality of just what is going on because it is not just our issue it is a community one... There have been few if any specific statistics collected, and even less social research conducted on Indigenous gay and transgender/sistergirl sexual abuse. In recent times, the calls for recognition of and action against Indigenous heterosexual abuse have risen around the country, largely through the initiatives and tireless efforts of Indigenous people themselves, with various levels of support from state and federal governments. It’s now time that we as Indigenous gay, transgender/sistergirl members of our communities gain the same levels of support for the sexual abuse issues facing us today. The cultural, social and emotional well being of our communities depends on it.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project: The primary aims Project are: To provide Indigenous gay and bisexual men, and transgender people (sistergirls) with gender specific and culturally appropriate information, education and support to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI's). Enhance the sexual health and well being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay, bi-sexual men and transgender people (sistergirls), to enable them to make informed decisions and achieve and maintain control of their own sexual health. - Queensland Survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men who have Sex with Men (PDF Download).

Video presentation: ‘Sistergirls' – Stories from Indigenous Australian Transgenders (2006): "A ‘story telling' video-documentary of four Indigenous Australian sistergirls this documentary projects positive images of Indigenous Australian sistergirls - giving people an insight into why we live our lives the way we do. It also raises a number of issues that have, and continue to impact on our lives... The use of the term ‘sistergirl' is a self adopted term, recognising that the western definitions of transgender or gay do not reflect the culture and lived reality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander transgender people...In the documentary the sistergirls talk about sistergirl identity and explain how this term is used in Indigenous communities." - Indigenous Homosexuality: Aboriginal Gay And Transgender People - Silences In Indigenous Sexuality: Colonial homophobia marginalised homosexual and transgender Aborigines. But intolerance was never part of traditional life, as seen in the story of the Tiwi Sistergirls... Sistergirls don't like to be referred to as "gays". They prefer the term "women". They also reject a lot of the myths about them, both from the mainstream and from Indigenous society. Firstly, they reject the claim that they are "unnatural". A Sistergirl is born, not made. It is clear by the age of two or three if a person has been born this way, and when they get to the age of six, parents give them to older sistergirls to look after because they're in that special category..."

Reflecting on Practice: Current challenges in gay and other homosexually active men’s HIV education (by Gary Smith & Paul Van de Ven, National Centre in HIV Social Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of New South Wales, 2001 - PDF Download): "Challenges identified by the Indigenous educators (those working with Indigenous gay and homosexually active men / Sistergirls) included: ... Keeping sistergirl issues a priority on the service providers’ agenda was identified as a challenge and required constant contact with the providers to reinforce the importance of such issues. Racial prejudice among White gay men was identified as a major concern. This was especially a problem for Indigenous men involved in predominantly White gay settings. - Homophobia within Indigenous communities was also identified as a major concern, with attitudes being expressed along the lines of, “They’re all just sickos”. - Despite the homophobia experienced by sistergirls within their communities, the educators claimed that most sistergirls were nevertheless respected within their communities. This respect, however, had less to do with being sistergirls per se and more to do, for example, with being employed (where unemployment is generally high). Sistergirls’ respect seemed also to be contingent upon their keeping a low profile with regard to their sexual activities, which served to hamper open discussion and other education efforts... - Interactions between sistergirls and their sex partners were characterised as “short and sweet” and as “a quick bang in the bushes with some man who is not getting it from his wife”. This was often the only source of sexual interaction and/or affection sistergirls received. If the choice was between sex without condoms and no sex at all, the choice was likely to be the former... - Certain men (heterosexually identified and often married) were known by sistergirls as potential sexual partners and sistergirls shared this information among themselves. The rest of the community, however, was kept in the dark. Sistergirls’ sexual partners were identified as the biggest barrier to developing a safe sex culture among homosexually active men within Murri communities... - The issue of sexual assault, sometimes at a young age, was identified. Providing a safe environment for sistergirls (e.g. a safe house) was considered important. But even this measure was thought to be beyond QuAC’s resource capabilities (and perhaps jurisdiction)..."

GLBT/sistergirls Research: I am a young gay researcher of Mauritian background. I'm currently a PhD candidate in Health and Social Anthropology at the University of Provence (France) and I arrived in Australia 3 months ago to further a research project about Australian Indigenous GLBT/sistergirls experiences in urban settings. I collected about 50 life stories over 2 previous fieldworks and I am still seeking more participants in every States. The semi-directed interviews last about 1 hour and 30 minutes; it is anonymous and conducted in a culturally sensitive and respectful manner..." - "Sistergirls: stories from Indigenous Australian transgender people" by Brown, Kooncha. Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, 28(6) Dec 2004: 25-26.

For all Australians? (Alternate Link) In a time when many are hailing advances in HIV/AIDS treatments, and lauding Australia's response to HIV as exemplary, just how proud of our record should we be? Gay, Indigenous and HIV positive, Rodney Junga-Williams tells a different story. For Aboriginal Australians, he writes, its a question of: What access? Whose equality? - Survival '99 Queer, black and speaking out. - Gay Aborigines to gather for second 'Corroborree'. - 'BlackOUT' is a newsletter by and for Aboriginal gay people. - OutBlack (Victoria) - This section looks at homophobia and its impact on Indigenous people - those from the first peoples of the land and sea in Australia. - SISSY [a 30-minute documentary] takes you behind the scenes to give a rare insight into a sub culture that has created its own space within the gay culture, and it explores the bond that sets the black ‘sisterhood’ apart from the white gays. SISSY is an expression of gay black identity: “We are glamorous, we are here and we are queer”: PDF Download.

"Too Busy Studying and No Time for Sex?" Homosexually Active Male International Students and Sexual Health [in Australia]: PDF Download. (Related Information: PDF Download) - Race, Sexuality and Education. What does it mean to be Aboriginal and gay in education in Australia? (Related Information) - Going That Way: "'…homosexuality has existed here for a long time, its not a White man's disease - its probably the only thing we didn't catch off the White man!' - Rea Saunders, Gay Perspectives II, (ed.) Robert Aldrich, Sydney Uni Press, 1994, p.9 Going That Way to me is about life energy, commitment and resistance. It is one of the least bullshit exhibitions I have ever been to. Ali Baker, 2000." - Postcolonial Nationalisms and the Problem of Heterosexual Whiteness. - Black-banning homophobia.

""Jugga" is the nom de plume of a Brisbane-based artist and his homoerotic artworks. The word Jugga is a northern aboriginal Australian term meaning "good mate". It was chosen specifically to emphasize that aspect of the Australian working-man's life that the artists drawings and paintings capture. Jugga concentrates on the Blue-Collar/rural working-class men who have same-sex encounters but don't identify as being homosexual or gay... Jugga's work captures this class of men engaged in homoerotic situations. It focuses the artist's sense of this group of ordinary men based on his own personal experience in the blue-collar working environment. Although these men are not represented in mainstream gay art and culture they are often pivotal to the sexual desires and fantasies of many in the gay community..." - The end of gay? (PDF Download: some information on the gay aboriginal situation.)

Black + White + Pink: is a group of volunteers from the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual community who have come together to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues remain on the agenda of the gay and lesbian community in New South wales. - Sweeties for a Treaty. - Sydney Mardi Gras!!! Black+White+Pink. - Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander participation in Sidney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2000 N/A. - Mardi Gras 2001 N/A. - Black+White+Pink Consultation Forum. - Gay Perspectives II - 1994 - edited by Robert Aldrich: "This volume includes articles on homosexuality in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal life; the life of a homosexual convict in colonial Australia..." Gays and Lesbians Aboriginal Alliance, ‘Peopling the Empty Mirror: The Prospects for Lesbian and Gay Aboriginal History’, in Aldrich (ed.), Gay Perspectives II, pp. 1-62

Silverfoxes Club Digest: "He also thought that the Aborigines were ignorant of homo-eroticism. When he was asked about conditions in the colonies, particularly about .unnatural acts., the Bishop noted that those crimes were unknown to .the savage. until they were taught them by the convict. We know this to be false. Anthropological evidence points to the institutional arrangements and ritual practice among some of the native groups. These ranged from permissive sexual arrangements between a man and his wife.s brother (since the latter belonged to the same marriage class as his wife) to men masturbating each other before setting out on a warrior mission. One of Ullathorne.s great concerns was with the moral contamination of the young. He laid much emphasis on the way in which boys and young men became educated about unnatural activities.."<

Anti-Gay School / Society Situation In Australia And Homophobia in Smaller Cities and Towns.