Conference Committee

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The 2010 Health in Difference Conference Organising Committee consisted of a working group of Alliance members. For most members, this was unapid work on top of demanding 'day jobs' and for some it was the first time they had ever been to, let alone organised, a conference such as this. We would like to thank the Conference Organising Committee for their enthusiasm and commitment to 'doing diversity' and congratulate them on their contribution to the health and wellbeing of sexuality, sex and gender diverse people.

The Conference Organising Committee were (in alphabetical order):

Convener: Gabi Rosenstreich
National LGBTI Health Alliance

Gabi is the Executive Director of the National LGBTI Health Alliance, a national coalition of organisations across Australia working to improve the health and wellbeing of sexuality, sex and gender diverse people. She came to the Alliance from Aotearoa New Zealand, where she was a senior analyst in the Government's GLBTI Policy team.

Gabi grew up in Aotearoa but also lived for a long time in Berlin, Germany, where, most recently, she worked as an educator, consultant and researcher around diversity, ‘multiple identity’, empowerment and antidiscrimination in general, and intercultural, gender and queer issues in particular.

Gabrielle Nolan
{also} foundation

Gabrielle is project co-ordinator of the {also} foundation sexual health initiative 'Take care {out} there' , which is run in partnership with Country Awareness Network, the VAC, PLWHA Victoria, GLHV and DHS.  'Take Care' is an innovative statewide community engagement program aimed at developing a Victorian LGBTI sexual health promoting culture and network.

The program has developed from an initial pilot project, in which {also} engaged with queer sporting groups in Melbourne to enhance their safe sex culture. This involved working with the sports groups during and after the 1st Asia Pacific Outgames and holding the first ever sexual health championships- 'The Drama Down Under Sexy Play Offs'.

Prior to her work at {also} Gabrielle co-ordinated and secured grants funding for a number of well being focused projects in the multicultural community sector. These included separate projects which targeted groups such as young Muslim Women, Arabic families, and multicultural youth.

Lori Suter
Twenty10

Lori is a Client Services Officer – Social Worker for Twenty10. Twenty10 is a Sydney-based organisation that supports and works with young people, communities and families of diverse genders and sexualities. Since their beginning in 1982, Twenty10 has grown to include case management, counselling, a drop-in centre, group programs, community education and art programs. Lori works together with young people across a range of support needs to identify and work towards their goals and is continually reminded of the strengths and resilience of young queer people in our community.

Michelle Sparks
ACON (until March 2010)

Michelle has been active on GLBT health and wellbeing issues since 2003 and has a strong commitment to celebrating cultural diversity and inclusion within the GLBT community. Since 2006 Michelle has worked with ACON, a leading GLBT health promotion organisation based in NSW, as an Aboriginal Health Promotion Officer and currently as manager of Community Development. Michelle holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Paul Martin Queensland Association for Health Communities/National LGBTI Health Alliance Paul is Chair of the National LGBTI Health Alliance Board of Directors and the General Manager of the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC). QAHC organised the last Health in Difference Conference in Brisbane in 2007.

Ricki Menzies
Queensland Association for Healthy Communities

Ricki is the Training and Development Coordinator at the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC). Her past experiences have been in women’s health, sexual health, sexuality education and training in the 'alcohol, tobacco and other drugs' sector, before joining QAHC in early 2009.

She was involved in the Board Working Group for HID6 in Brisbane in 2007, tho a late starter with the group she was able to give a regional perspective to the group, assist with the registration desk at the conference, organising inserts for conference bags and arranging prizes for the cocktail party.

Ricki thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with Health in Difference in the past and did not hesitate to accept when asked to be involved in the current conference, she is looking forward to another successful couple of days mingling with members of the LGBT community from around the country.

Rob Sutherland
ACON (from March 2010)

Rob has worked in HIV prevention and LGBT health in both NSW and the Asia-Pacific region since 2002. With a focus on the sexual health of gay and other men who have sex with men, he has been involved in peer education, capacity building, research and policy development, and is currently the Campaigns Coordinator at ACON.

Rob has also previously been involved with the STI's in Gay Men Action Group (STIGMA), NSW Metro Gay Men's HIV Prevention Interagency (MGM) and the Asia Pacific Coalition of Male Sexual Health (APCOM).

Ruth McNair
The University of Melbourne/Private Practice (GP)/Rainbow Families Council/Australian Lesbian Medican Association/Victorian Ministerial Advisory Committee on GLBTI Health and Wellbeing/ACON Lesbian Health

Ruth is a senior lecturer at The University of Melbourne, academic GP and qualitative researcher.

She:

• works in a private general practice specialising in lesbian, gay, bi, trans health
• is on the committee of the Rainbow Families Council (Vic) as Treasurer, and was the convener of three Rainbow Families conferences (over 200 participants each)
• was founding member of the Australian Lesbian Medical Association and Convener for about 4 years
• has been on the Victorian Ministerial Advisory Committee on GLBTI Health and Wellbeing for the past 8 years
• is on the ACON Lesbian Health Advisory Board

Ryan Radclyffe-Hall
A Gender Agenda

Ryan is a Board member of A Gender Agenda, an inclusive organisation which advocates for the improved wellbeing of gender diverse individuals and communities in the ACT. He was one of the leaders of the 2008 ACT Campaign for Civil Unions, and does a lot of promotion and event organising for A Gender Agenda. He’s got a pretty sound knowledge of queer theory, trans inclusion, and a lot of contacts in the trans community in Canberra and Melbourne.

Sally Goldner
TransGender Victoria/PolyVic Inc/Bi-Victoria/Victorian Attorney-General's Ministerial GLBTI Advisory Committee/Zoe Belle Gender Centre/Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby/Police GLBTI Advisory committee

Sally’s affiliations include:

• TransGender Victoria (TGV) - spokesperson and Treasurer
• Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) - Treasurer
• PolyVic Inc - Treasurer
• TGV rep on Victorian Attorney-General's Ministerial Advisory Committee
• Zoe Belle Gender Centre - committee member
• Active member of Bi-Victoria
• TGV rep on the Victorian Police GLBTI Advisory committee

Shane Dinnison AIDS Council of South Australia   Shane is on the National LGBTI Health Alliance Board of Directors and is the Executive Director of the AIDS Council of South Australia.   Shannon Wright ACON

Shannon is the Manager, Regional Services with ACON, Australia’s largest community-based gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health and HIV/AIDS organisation whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of the GLBT community and people with HIV, and reduce HIV transmission.  Shannon has worked in both the government and non government health sector for around 20 years and she has a strong commitment to social justice and a passionate interest in LGBT issues

Shaun Filiault
Flinders University

Shaun is a lecturer in health promotion/health education at Flinders University, SA, with a special interest in sexual health and sexualities.

He recently handed up a PhD at the University of South Australia. His thesis examined body image in gay male athletes. He also holds a master's degree in human developmental studies, a certificate in exercise science, and a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Shaun also has community experience in gay men's health promotion through Fenway Community Health in Boston (USA).

He presented two talks at HID 2007: One about his thesis, the other about gay men's experiences of prostate cancer.

Sunil Patel
Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria

Sunil is the Internet Librarian for Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV). He is responsible for creating and managing the GLHV website. He develops key resources including posters and brochures. Sunil also runs diversity training courses and is involved in GLBTI research projects and advocacy.

Sunil previously worked as the Web Manager for the Terrence Higgins Trust, a national UK HIV/AIDS charity, based in their London office. He trained as a Librarian at RMIT and worked in public libraries and as a web and information specialist. Sunil's background is in local government in the areas of equal opportunities, recruitment selection, and training.

Susan Ditter
Working It Out, Tasmania

Susan is the Executive Officer of Working It Out, Sexuality and Gender Support and Education Service Tasmania. The organisation has been operating for 11 years initially through Federal money and now supported through the State Health Department.  Susan has been involved for 3 years.  Exciting times with growing demand for anti-homophobia and cultural awareness programs in schools and workplaces.  There is also a noticeable increase in gender issues from those using the service – about half sexuality issues and half gender in 2009.

Susan came to Tasmania from the Sunshine Coast where she did a short stint of teaching in alternative schools.  Before that Darwin, running a youth arts organisation (took a safe sex circus project to Maningrida). She was on the Darwin Pride Committee, and before that ran a youth arts organisation in Port Adelaide with a focus on Indigenous young people and creating a safe space for same-sex attracted young people.

Professional Conference Organiser:
Nicole Robertson & Rosie Campo
ASHM Conference & Events Division