Resources from the MGA

Events

The MGA Queer department organises and runs a multitude of events for graduate students who identify as LGBTIQA+ or as our allies. These events include queer film nights, exhibitions of design projects for LGBTQIA+ people, workshops about queer topics, informal debates with LGBTIQA+ researchers, attendance in rainbow events in Melbourne and in Australia. To know more and keep updated with our events, follow or like our Facebook page.

Advocacy

The MGA Queer officer represents all Monash graduate students who identify as LGBTIQA+ in the MGA Executive Committee and in the Diverse Genders, Sexes and Sexualities Advisory Group. If you have an issue or opportunity relevant to LGBTIQA+ Monash graduate students, contact the MGA Queer officer.

Resources from Monash

Training

Monash LGBTIQ provides knowledge about LGBTIQA+ matters and a Queer 101 training for students, offers resources for researchers and lecturers to be more inclusive, and coordinates the Ally Network (limited to staff for now).

Events

Every year, around 17 May, many LGBTIQA+ groups at Monash organise events to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

Also, every year in September or October, a multitude of Monash groups run LGBTIQA+ events as part of the Diversity and Inclusion Week.

Spaces

In numerous buildings around Monash campuses, you can find all-gender toilets, where people with diverse gender identities and expressions can feel more comfortable.

 

Monash also has queer lounges, i.e. safe spaces for all LGBTIQA+ people at Monash to relax, make friends, study and meet. There is one at Clayton campus (Campus Centre, Level 1) and one at Caulfield campus (Building S, Level 3).

Clubs

GLEAM is a student group for LGBTIQA+ students of science, technology, engineering and maths at Monash. An annual membership is required. Check their Facebook page.

diversIT is an initiative by the Faculty of Information Technology, aiming to support underrepresented students in IT. Check their Facebook page.

Health

Monash University offers a range of services, programmes and resources for students’ health and wellbeing. These include medical services, free counselling, and mental health programs and resources (including mindfulness programs).

In case of medical emergencies, contact these numbers. For mental health emergencies, contact these numbers.

Safety and security

If you experience or see dangerous, intimidating or unacceptable behaviour towards LGBTIQA+ students, you should report it to the Safer Community Unit.

If you are a victim or witness of gender-based violence towards LGBTIQA+ students, contact the Respectful Communities unit.

For emergencies, please contact the Monash security services.

Other resources

Monash offers scholarships for LGBTIQA+ students, and provides resources for gender-diverse students to affirm their identity.

External Resources

For all LGBTIQA+ people

Mental health

• Switchboard: phone and web counselling (QLife), helpline for victims of violence (w/respect) and services to reduce social isolation for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Queerspace: counselling, social support and professional development for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Mind Equality Centre: psychological and health counselling for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Way Out: rights, mental health and wellbeing for LGBTIQA+ people living in rural Victoria.
• Headspace: LGBTIQA+-friendly mental, physical and sexual health help for people under 25.
• Beyond Blue: LGBTIQA+-friendly support services, programs, research, advocacy and communication activities for mental health.
• ReachOut: LGBTIQA+ online mental health for young people.
• Psychology Melbourne: LGBTIQA+-friendly counselling.
• Lifeline: LGBTIQA+-friendly 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
• DocDir: Australia’s national directory of LGBTIQ+ friendly clinicians.

Physical, sexual and reproductive health

• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC): testing and treatment for sexually transmissible infections.
• Thorne Harbour Health: prevention education, treatment and care of PLHIV, counselling services.
• PRONTO!: peer-led service offering free rapid HIV testing and STI testing.
• PrEP Access Now (PAN): HIV prevention.
• Northside Clinic: medical care and sexual health for LGBTIQA+ patients.
• Prahran Market Clinic: clinic with a focus on sexual health and LGBTIQA+ health.
• Family Planning Victoria: LGBTIQA+-friendly reproductive and sexual health services.
• Rainbow Fertility: fertility service provider catering exclusively for LGBTIQA+ people.
• DocDir: Australia’s national directory of LGBTIQ+ friendly clinicians.

Social connection

• Eventbrite: platform listing events of all kinds, including events for and by LGBTIQA+ people.
• MeetUp: platform with LGBTIQA+ social groups of all kinds.
• Australian Pride Network: database of LGBTIQA+ community initiatives, events, news in Australia.
• Victorian Pride Centre: LGBTIQA+ social connection, health and wellbeing, educational and professional services.
• StartOut: online LGBTIQA+ role models for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Music: Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus, Melbourne Rainbow Band.
• Activism: Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL).
• Sport: Melbourne Spikers Volleyball Club, Melbourne Surge Water Polo, Melbourne Argonauts Rowing Club, Melbourne Rovers Soccer Club, Melbourne Dragons Martial Arts, Melbourne Chargers Rugby Team, Melbourne Glamourheads Swimming Club, Melbourne Frontrunners (running and walking club), Melbourne Smasher Badminton Club, Nomads Outdoors Group.
• Other: LGBTIQ+ carers program.

Training

• Queerspace: counselling, social support and professional development for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Rainbow Health Victoria: LGBTIQA+ health research, training, resources, and policy advice.
• National LGBTI Health Alliance: health-related training, services and research.
• Victorian Pride Centre: LGBTIQA+ social connection, health and wellbeing, educational and professional services.
• Rainbow Network: LGBTIQA+ resources, advocacy, events, training.
• Queer in Science: advocacy, networking, education for LGBTIQA+ people involved in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) in Australia.

Professional development

• Gay & Lesbian Organisation of Business & Enterprise (GLOBE): events to build professional networks.
• The Pinnacle Foundation: leadership support for young LGBTIQA+ people.
• Out for Australia: support and mentorship for aspiring LGBTIQA+ professionals.
• LGBTI Inclusive Employers: online platform listing LGBTIQA+-inclusive organisations.

Media

• Star Observer and Qnews: Australia’s LGBTIQA+ news.
• Australian Lesbian & Gay Archives (ALGA): Australia’s biggest repository of historical LGBTIQA+ materials.
• Joy 94.9: independent LGBTIQA+ radio station in Melbourne.
• SBS: Australian national television network, with some LGBTIQA+ content.

Events

• Better Together: national LGBTIQA+ conference (January).
• Midsumma Festival: Australia’s premier LGBTIQA+ arts and cultural festival, culminating in the Pride March (January-February).
• Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF): biggest and oldest LGBTIQA+ film festival in Australia (March).
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival: one of the largest comedy festivals in the world, with many shows by LGBTIQA+ performers (March-April).
• Pride Cup: tournaments to increase LGBTI+ visibility and engagement in sports (May).
• Melbourne Fringe Festival: multi-art festival featuring many creations by LGBTIQA+ artists (September).

For bisexual+ people

• Melbourne Bisexual Network: mental health and advocacy to increase bisexual+ inclusivity.
• Bi+ Australia: bisexual+ support, education and research.
• Bisexual Alliance Victoria: bisexual+ activism and discussion groups.

For transgender and gender diverse people

• TransGender Victoria (TGV): trans and gender diverse advocacy, training, and resource development.
• Ygender: social support and advocacy for trans and gender diverse people under 25.
• Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC): trans and gender diverse advocacy and education.
• Equinox: gender diverse health centre.
• Seahorse Victoria: support and social group for the Victorian transgender community.
• TILDE: Melbourne trans & gender diverse film festival.
• GenderQueer Australia: Melbourne peer support group for trans and gender diverse people.
• Monash Health Gender Clinic: specialist public health service for trans and gender diverse people in Victoria.
• Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH): education and policy-making on the health, rights and well-being of trans and gender diverse people.
• Gender Diversity Australia (GenDA): extensive closed Facebook group for trans and gender diverse people.
• Gender Diverse Social Club: MeetUp group for gender diverse people in Melbourne.
• The Shed: support group for transmasculine people.

For intersex people

• Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA): support, education and policy development by and for intersex people.
• Intersex Peer Support Australia (IPSA): intersex peer support, information and advocacy.
• Turner Syndrome Association of Australia: information, support, and opportunities to connect for females living with Turner Syndrome.

For asexual people

• Australian Asexuals: asexual community in Australia.
• Melbourne Aces: MeetUp group for asexual people, meeting periodically in Melbourne.
• Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN): world’s largest online asexual community and archive of resources on asexuality.

For LGBTIQA+ people of faith

• Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC): advocacy, research, education, community events for people of multicultural and multifaith backgrounds.
• Aleph Melbourne: social support and advocacy for people who identify as Jewish or who have a Jewish heritage.
• Intersect: project to promote the development of culturally safe and inclusive practice among multicultural, faith-based and LGBTIQA+ communities.
• Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Melbourne: LGBTIQA+-inclusive Christian community.
• Acceptance Melbourne LGBTIQ Catholics: Catholic community for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Melbourne Inclusive Church (MIC): Christian church for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Marhaba: group for LGBTIQA+ Muslim people in Melbourne.

For LGBTIQA+ people of diverse ethnicity and culture

• Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC): advocacy, research, education, community events for people of multicultural and multifaith backgrounds.
• Black Rainbow: advocacy and community projects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQA+ people.
• Ethnic LGBT+: support, education and mentoring for culturally and linguistically diverse LGBTIQA+ people.
• Intersect: project to promote the development of culturally safe and inclusive practice among multicultural, faith-based and LGBTIQA+ communities.
• Greek and Gay Support Network: organisation bringing Hellenic LGBTIQA+ people in Melbourne together.
• Fobgays+: community network for South Asian LGBTIQA+ people.
• YellowKitties: social support group for Asian LGBTIQA+ women, based in Melbourne.
• Helem Melbourne: support group for LGBTIQA+people from Arab communities in Melbourne.
• LatinAmerican and Hispanic Rainbow Community (LAHRC): community group in Victoria to support LGBTIQA+ people from Latin American and Hispanic backgrounds.
• Ris’n: organisation for LGBTQIA+ international students in Victoria.

Other resources

• Rainbow Families: support network for LGBTIQA+ parents and carers.
• LGBTIQ Legal Service: free community legal service to help LGBTIQA+ Victorians.
• WorkingOUT: employment program for LGBTIQA+ people with a disability or mental health condition that may be a barrier to employment.