PICAL hosted a visit from the LGBTIQ+ Commission Todd Fernando last month, holding a “Rainbow Ready Roadmap” information night.

The purpose of the workshop was to outline how local organisations in the Bass Coast area can use the various tools and resources of the Victorian government’s Rainbow Ready Roadmap to drive local change, celebrate and support LGBTIQ+ people.

Workshop facilitator Daniel Witthaus, Founder & CEO of Rural Pride Australia (formerly NICHE),  explained that this work commenced in 2018 with a series of travelling roadshows, but had now progressed to a permanently available roadmap.

The most common challenges expressed by past audiences, and which were again reflected in the Phillip Island Workshop, were around the themes of “creating safe gathering places”, “encouraging and welcoming diversity”, “raising community awareness and changing entrenched attitudes“; and “reaching those in the rainbow community who were still living in isolation without any support”.

Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities Todd Fernando explained that Victoria is leading the way in this broader community approach to promoting, accepting and celebrating diversity.

He commended the organisations present at the Workshop for their thoughtfulness and willingness to embrace the rainbow communities of the Bass Coast area.

Local organisations taking part in the workshop included Westernport Water, Wellways, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault (GCASA), South Coast Inclusion Network and PICAL.