Rainbow Leaders

Summit Hub

Welcome to the Rainbow (LGBTIQA+) Leaders Summit Hub.

This page is your go-to resource for The Equality Project’s annual Rainbow Leaders Summit, held as part of our Better Together conference.

The LGBTIQA+ Leaders’ Summit brings together the decision-makers and forward-thinkers of Australia's rainbow communities. Together, we engage in meaningful conversations about our aspirations as queer leaders, the world we desire to create, and how we can collectively achieve that vision.

Some of the questions we’ve explored:

  • How might we create a world that values and affirms rainbow communities?

  • How do we define leadership in the LGBTIQA+ community today?

  • How might we foster collaboration to amplify our collective impact as a united community of leaders and changemakers?

Our aim for the Rainbow Leaders Summit is to unite the trailblazers driving change in our communities, providing a space to share ideas, learn from each other, forge alliances and work together to build a better world for LGBTIQA+ Australians.

We invite you to dive into the wealth of content generated by past cohorts, available for download below.

We will add other useful resources and information on this page, as well as details about the next gathering. Stay tuned for updates or check back often.

Listen,

Learn, Share

Outcomes // Leaders Summit 2024

Date: 13th June 2024, Melbourne (Naarm, Wurundjeri Country)

💡 How might we foster collaboration to amplify our collective impact as a united community of leaders?

  • You can download the posters for each group below.

  • Summaries under development.

GROUP 2

CHALLENGE

How might we improve healthy conversation to support the community to unite despite our differences?

Download Group 2 Poster

GROUP 3

CHALLENGE

How might we inspire collaborative queer leadership?

Download Group 3 Poster

GROUP 4

CHALLENGE

How might we address risk aversion in government and executive leadership?

Download Group 4 Poster

GROUP 5

CHALLENGE

How might we ensure equitable access to resources for all community members at all levels?

Download Group 5 Poster

GROUP 6

CHALLENGE

[How might we statement unclear]

Can group 6 please reach out to admin@equality.org.au? Thank you.

Download Group 6 Poster

GROUP 7

CHALLENGE

How might we address vicarious trauma in LGBTQIA communities?

Download Group 7 Poster

GROUP 8

CHALLENGE

How might we create safe, accessible, welcoming, collaborative and inclusive environments?

Download Group 8 Poster

GROUP 9

CHALLENGE

How might we share the funding pool more equitably?

Download Group 9 Poster

GROUP 10

CHALLENGE

How might we collaborate to increase funding and resources?

Download Group 10 Poster

GROUP 11

CHALLENGE

How might we distribute power to ensure diversity and inclusion in access, equity and equality is considered in key decising making?

Download Group 11 Poster

GROUP 12

CHALLENGE

How might we manage our own mental health and wellbeing, our capacity and particularly our experience of trauma?

Download Group 12 Poster

GROUP 13

CHALLENGE

How might we achieve racial justice?

Download Group 13 Poster

Outcomes // Leaders Summit 2023

Date: 16th February 2023, Adelaide (Kaurna Land)

💡 How might we create a world that values and affirms LGBTIQA+ people as full citizens?

  • Below is a summary of each group’s outcomes.

  • You can download the full workshop results at the end of each summary.

GROUP 1

VISION

Our vision is to protect and respect the bodily autonomy and integrity of intersex people. This will be achieved by:

  • Passing best practice legislation to end harmful medical practices across Australia.

  • Educating medical professionals and the broader community in ways that are affirming and led by the intersex community.

  • Providing funding and support for intersex community organizations.

  • Changing codes and guidelines that discriminate based on binary sex.

  • Implementing a public apology and redress scheme for past harm.

IDEA MATRIX

Description

  • Change the model of care from a medical to a social model.

  • Change societal perceptions and understandings of bodily diversity.

  • Prohibit harmful and unnecessary surgeries and subsequent long-term harms.

  • Connect parents of intersex babies/children with peer networks and lived experience expertise to reduce stigma and build resilience.

Benefits

  • Improves the lives of intersex people and their families/communities.

  • Benefits society as a whole by breaking down rigid binary sex ideas currently enforced by medical institutions and society.

  • Intersex peer networks benefit from increased awareness of their importance.

  • Inclusion in sports at all levels.

Requirements

  • Sufficient resources for intersex organizations to undertake their work.

  • Political support across jurisdictions.

  • Champions within medical institutions to drive change.

  • LGBTIQA+ and health organizations need to raise awareness and advocate.

  • Criminal penalties and a regulatory response/framework.

  • Compulsory/mandated training for all medical practitioners/students, including midwives and antenatal care service providers.

Roadmap

  • Led by intersex people: Advocate for funding and adequate resourcing for intersex organizations.

  • Lobby each state/territory government to adopt ACT intersex legislation.

  • Lobby the AMA and AHPRA to adopt best practice clinical guidelines and protocols.

  • Establish network and referral pathways in pediatric and intersex peer support organizations (formalize).

  • Lobby universities and schools to include intersex education (including lived perspectives) by peers.

  • Implement a national apology and redress scheme.

Download Group 1 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale.

GROUP 2

VISION

Our vision is to create a self-determined system of education and learning. This will be achieved by building a socially and economically viable system based on lived experience and grassroots consultation, leading to mandatory change by 2065.

IDEA MATRIX

Description

  • Scrutinise the current education and learning system.

  • Ensure accessible consultation through all means, such as in-person, online, at all levels (including parents, educators, and schools).

  • Refine the ideas into actionable goals.

  • Draft a framework to identify key stakeholders.

  • Define frameworks for engagement with stakeholders.

  • Define implementation strategy.

  • Launch the initiative.

  • Evaluate the outcomes.

Benefits

  • Students and society benefit as a whole.

  • Shifts the role of uninformed people to informed people.

  • Creates an updated and more relevant/adaptable education system.

  • Improves access to services.

  • Reduces the pathologisation of identity.

  • Results in better health outcomes.

  • Leads to more socially and economically viable services.

  • Reduces bigotry and inefficiency.

Requirements

  • Establish a Student Representative Council.

  • Form a Parent/Family Representative Group.

  • Obtain regulatory authority support.

  • Create an Educator Representative Body.

  • Update the existing curriculum.

  • Implement mandatory training and education.

  • Secure funding and government buy-in.

  • Ensure accessible ways of engagement and buy-in.

Roadmap

  • 2023: Scrutinise the current education and learning system.

  • 2025: Build the governing body (APEN) and request consultation groups.

  • 2027: Draft framework and identify key stakeholders, take recommendations from formalized results.

  • 2028: Define implementation strategy alongside the governing body and pilot it.

  • 2029: Launch the system and refine it at 2/5/7-year intervals.

  • 2035: Realise the idea fully.

Download Group 2 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale.

GROUP 3

VISION

The focus is on the LGBTIQA+ community as a whole. Our vision is to achieve equality leading to intersectional equity by listening to, understanding, and respecting one another as a united community.

IDEA MATRIX

Description

  • Create better conversations between intersectional identities.

  • Work through lateral allyship.

  • Break down conscious and unconscious biases.

  • Engage in unified goal setting.

  • Acknowledge and celebrate the different needs of individuals and communities with shared experiences.

  • Understand that equality is a step towards equity.

  • Strengthen connections to communities.

Benefits

  • Thriving, not just surviving.

  • Hearts are full, cups are full, and individuals feel supported.

  • Gains are made by listening to each other’s experiences.

  • Unified efforts enhance mutual support.

  • A unified seat at the table for global change.

  • Amplified voices from less visible individuals and communities.

Requirements

  • Becoming each other’s advocates and coming back to advocate for others after reaching their own milestones.

  • Starting from a bottom-up approach and recognizing diverse identities within communities.

  • Listening and understanding (or trying to) each other’s positions and perspectives.

  • Coming up with a new community identity and framework for allyship.

  • Developing frameworks and toolkits for lateral allyship.

Roadmap

  • Framework: Establish a framework on how to work together.

  • Independent Body: Form an independent body to facilitate conversation.

  • Federal LGBTIQA+ Commissioner: Appoint a federal LGBTIQA+ commissioner.

  • Action Plan: “We know what we need to do and how to get there; be proactive, not reactive.”

This plan outlines the steps and strategies needed to achieve intersectional equity within the LGBTIQA+ community, emphasizing unity, mutual support, and proactive engagement.

Download Group 3 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale

GROUP 4

VISION

Our vision is to have data-driven policy, investment, and funding that truly represents the intersectional drivers of LGBTIQA+ inequalities.

IDEA MATRIX

Description

  • All policy and funding decisions are driven by big data.

  • Current data is not representative of the population because it excludes LGBTIQA+ people.

  • By including LGBTIQA+ specific data, we can argue for funding and connect groups across diversities.

Benefits

  • More accurate data benefits everyone and society as a whole.

  • Specific benefits for people with intersectional identities, minorities, and all LGBTIQA+ people.

  • Society benefits by knowing accurate data, which improves funding distribution and policy development.

  • Future generations will benefit from historical data.

Requirements

  • The federal government needs to recognize the importance of LGBTIQA+ specific data.

  • The federal government needs to direct ABS to change the questions and improve accessibility.

  • Change the principal statistician.

  • Link to other groups that experience multiple marginalities or have intersecting identities.

Roadmap

  • LGBTIQA+ Education Campaign: Start with an education campaign to raise awareness about the importance of inclusive data.

  • United Front: Create a united front among different groups to advocate for data inclusivity.

  • Lobbying and Advocacy: Engage in lobbying and advocacy to push for policy changes.

  • Scoping Based on Current Measures of Inequality: Conduct scoping activities to understand current measures of inequality.

  • Buy-In from Other Marginalized Groups: Ensure buy-in from other marginalized groups to strengthen the advocacy.

  • 2025 Census: Aim for the 2025 Census to include LGBTIQA+ specific data.

Download Group 4 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale.

GROUP 5

VISION

Our vision is that everyone has the right to bodily autonomy. This includes access to free, available gender-affirming healthcare for all, including protection for intersex people. By making these changes, the community will be happy, healthy, and engaged, allowing everyone to thrive.

IDEA MATRIX

Idea Description

  • Provide access to free and accessible gender-affirming healthcare for all.

  • Systems and processes should affirm gender identity (e.g., forms, ID, birth certificates).

  • A world where people have bodily autonomy and are supported by systems that do not discriminate.

Benefits

  • Everyone benefits, with life-saving impacts for those in need.

  • A happy, healthy, and engaged community where everyone can thrive.

  • Mental health crises are managed with more resources and less stress.

  • Trans, gender-diverse, and intersex people benefit.

  • Society looks and feels like a more inclusive and accepting place.

Requirements

  • Education about the diversity of bodies and identities.

  • Permanent funding to ensure these services are sustainable.

  • A proactive approach to mental healthcare and suicide prevention.

  • Legislation for increased rights and protections for LGBTIQA+ people.

  • Accountability for people in positions of power.

  • Nationwide availability of services, including rural and remote areas.

  • Informed consent in medical contexts, ensuring consistency nationwide.

Roadmap

  • Funding: Research the cost savings and benefits of providing these services.

  • Infrastructure: Put systems and infrastructure in place to support the changes.

  • Education: Roll out education from early years about gender diversity and intersex variations.

  • Health Professional Training: Ensure existing practitioners are trained and educated in these matters.

  • Goal: Everyone is affirmed and supported, aiming for full realization by 2037.

This plan outlines the steps needed to ensure gender-affirming healthcare and protections are accessible and effective, fostering a supportive and inclusive community.

Download Group 5 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale

GROUP 6

VISION

Through formal and informal education led by diverse LGBTIQA+ people, we can create a world where LGBTIQA+ people feel safe, welcome, and valued, enabling everyone to be their full authentic selves.

IDEA MATRIX

Description

Promote age-appropriate awareness and celebration of diverse genders, bodies, and sexualities.

Increase LGBTIQA+ representation and role models in media and positions of influence.

Provide support and education for leaders to model inclusion, thereby normalising it within their spheres of influence.

Benefits

  • All of society benefits, including LGBTIQA+ employees and the economy.

  • Education leads to improved health and well-being for all LGBTIQA+ people.

  • LGBTIQA+ individuals feel welcome, safe, and have a sense of belonging.

  • Leaders educate and serve as role models who uplift, inspire, and promote empathy, compassion, and understanding in their spaces.

Requirements

  • Government and stakeholder funding (top-down and bottom-up).

  • Development of resources, toolkits, and audit tools.

  • Positive media representation.

  • Political and stakeholder buy-in.

Roadmap

  • Engage and consult: Begin by engaging and consulting with communities to develop a plan.

  • Set goals: Define what the plan aims to achieve and establish best practices.

  • Plan development: Create a comprehensive plan based on identified challenges and needs.

  • Lobby for funding: Secure funding and political support.

  • Develop resources: Develop necessary educational and support resources.

  • Pilot program: Implement a pilot program in 2026.

  • Launch and evaluate: Roll out the campus/media plan, evaluate, fine-tune, and expand it broadly.

This plan outlines a comprehensive approach to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for LGBTIQA+ individuals through education, representation, and community engagement.

Download Group 6 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale

GROUP 7

VISION

Our vision is to achieve progressive, systematic change over the next ten years, where governments, organisations, and communities are accountable for ensuring the representation and visibility of LGBTIQA+ communities. This will ensure that LGBTIQA+ individuals feel safe, healthy, and affirmed.

IDEA MATRIX

Idea Description

  • Mandate all government agencies to act on LGBTIQA+ safety.

  • Annual monitoring and evaluation of the strategy.

  • Law reform, including an Equality Act and other major new initiatives.

Benefits

  • Increased accountability from governments and communities.

  • Benefits for all of society, especially LGBTIQA+ communities.

  • Representation and inclusivity in society.

  • Equitable distribution of resources and better health and well-being outcomes for queer populations.

Requirements

  • Progressive system change that is structurally embedded.

  • Informed and equitable public debate.

  • Global partnerships and collaboration.

  • Resilience against government changes, ensuring initiatives are legally legislated.

Roadmap

  • Year 1/2: Review existing strategies, monitor and evaluate.

  • Year 3/4: Develop a nationally consistent Equality Act and strategy, monitor and evaluate.

  • Year 5/6: Implement and adapt strategies based on feedback, monitor and evaluate.

  • Year 7/8: Scale up successful initiatives, monitor and evaluate.

  • Year 9/10: Broaden education efforts, continue monitoring and evaluation.

The plan aims for systematic and sustainable changes, with a focus on accountability, legal reform, and continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the goals are met and progress is maintained. 

Download Group 7 - Idea Matrix, Roadmap and Effort Impact Scale

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

- Margaret Wheatley

When is the next Rainbow Leaders Summit?

The next gathering will likely be held in October 2025. The Expression of Interest (EOI) will open in July 2025.

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