Equality Tasmania and Working It Out have welcomed funding announced in Thursday's state budget.

 

The Tasmanian Government has allocated $175,000 for Equality Tasmania and Working It Out to help develop the state's LGBTIQ+ Action Plan, with half that amount for each organisation.

 

Equality Tasmania president, Rodney Croome, said,

 

"We welcome the Government's funding because it will ensure the skills and experience of the LGBTIQA+ community informs the development and implementation of the Government's proposed LGBTIQ+ Action Plan."

 

"The funding acknowledges that the LGBTIQA+ community has an indispensable role to play in developing the policies and programs that directly affect it."

 

"This is a milestone for Equality Tasmania because it is the first time in 35 years we have received government funding."

 

"We look forward to exploring future funding agreements with the State Government that allow LGBTIQA+ voices to be heard in the development of policies and programs for our community."

 

In 2021 the Tasmanian Government conducted a large-scale survey of the state's LGBTIQA+ community, the results from which were released as the Telling Us The Story Report in May 2022.

 

The recommendations of that survey are informing the development of a new State Government LGBTIQ+ Action Plan.

 

The funding allocation will help Equality Tasmania, Working It Out and the broader LGBTIQA+ community contribute to the development of the Action Plan.

 

The State Government has also increased the Tasmanian LGBTIQ+ Community Fund from $60,000 to $100,000 per year.

 

The fund is for community-led projects that address discrimination and stigma against LGBTIQA+ people. 

 

For a copy of the Telling Us The Story Report: https://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/247147/LGBTIQ-Tasmanians-Telling-Us-the-Story-Survey-Report-May-2022.pdf

 

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here