The Victorian government has announced grants funding designed to support Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities and organisations in becoming more inclusive of people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

The Government hopes that the grants will help to reduce the discrimination and everyday challenges that LGBTI people from what it describes as culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds face.

The Victorian Government has announced Multicultural Grants for LGBTI people from CALD communities to help increase inclusion

“The aim of the grants will be, hopefully, to work with the leadership within the multicultural community to help them understand most about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex issues within their communities, and also to support the people that are coming out in their communities as well,” State Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality, Rowena Allen said.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said it’s believed the grants are the first designation of government funding of its kind in any Australian state or territory, or federally.

“Members of the LGBTI community who come from culturally diverse backgrounds often face significant challenges and these grants are really about ensuring equality for all people and ensuring that people are free of discrimination in their day to day life and, particularly, focused on assisting those from culturally diverse backgrounds who come from the LGBTI communities,” Mr Scott said.

The grants will comprise $500,000 worth of government funding to be rolled out over four years.

In announcing the investment, the Victorian government said research had found LGBTI people experience higher levels of anxiety, depression and significantly higher rates of suicide compared to the rest of the population.

And while funding and support for those identifying as LGBTI has increased in recent years, there has been limited specific support for the needs of its members of non-English speaking backgrounds.

The new grants program is to be managed through the newly-opened Community Harmony Grant and Capacity Building and Participation programs.

“There are issues around racism within the LGBTI community that make it harder for culturally diverse LGBTI people to feel accepted, and these are different issues to deal with but it doesn’t mean a progressive government shouldn’t address them,” Mr Scott said.

Victorian Multicultural Commission chair Helen Kapalos said it was important to recognise the LGBTI community in the dialogue around multiculturalism.

“It’s an important part of social inclusion and really what we have to do is acknowledge that the LGBTI community is as important as the rest of the sector,” she said.

Ms Allen said it was great there would now be funding to address these issues.

“Discrimination and harassment around the LGBTI community within multicultural communities has been an area that’s been taboo,” she said.

“People have been telling me about the issues in their community, and now there’s funding to do something about it.”

The Victorian government said the LGBTI grants will be funded from the budget of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship within the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Albertina Calemens
AMES Australia Staff Writer