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• Give yourself a check-up. What you do and say could cause unintended harm. Find out when and how to use the correct pronouns.
• Get free inclusion or suicide prevention training.
• Enquire with your local community groups, health services, organisations or committees to see what they do, and share our resources to help them become more inclusive.

Focus on making physical and psychologically safe spaces.

Your support is a barrier to bullying, negative remarks or abuse. Head here for more guidance on how to speak up when you see something that’s not right or someone who needs your support.

If you are open to listening, with compassion and without judgement, that might be everything to someone. It could be all the support they need at that time. Listen to what is happening with your friends, colleagues and teammates so you can support them.

Show your support for LGBTIQ+ people by joining events such as Wear it Purple day or  IDAHOBIT day.

Put these dates in your calendar and show your support for LGBTIQ+ communities by joining in the events:

• 17 May 2021 is IDAHOBIT Day, which stands for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia
• 27 August 2021 is Wear it Purple Day, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year
• 20 November 2021 is Transgender Day of Remembrance

Here are some examples of discrimination commonly faced by LGBTIQ+ people:

• Dead-naming (deliberately using an incorrect name for someone)
• Misgendering (using incorrect pronouns. E.g. referring to someone who identifies as a woman and uses ‘she/her’ pronouns as ‘he’)
• Invasive questioning about someone’s physical characteristics or sex life
• Harassment or bullying, including ridiculing or ignoring someone, because of their sexuality or gender identity
• Denying training, promotion, participation or access to someone at work, sport or elsewhere because of their sexuality or gender identity
• Changing someone’s job, club or other role – such as taking them off customer service – because of their sexuality or gender identity
• Lack of access to toilets, change rooms and other facilities
• Using gendered uniforms and competitions

(Info source: Proud2Play LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Guidelines Template)

• LGBTIQ, which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and gender diverse, Intersex and Queer (or some also use the Q for Questioning), is an abbreviation to encompass a range of diverse sexualities, genders and sex characteristics.
• The + recognises that people might fit more than one of these terms or use other terms to describe themselves. Heterosexual and cis-gender people can be part of LGBTIQ+ communities. For example, there are straight trans and intersex people.
• When writing about LGBTIQ+ people, it is best to use the term ‘communities’, as there are many separate and distinct communities within the umbrella term.
• While LGBTIQ+ communities often work together – for example to advocate for equal rights – they are individual communities with their own experiences, needs and priorities.

Intersex people are born with physical or biological sex characteristics (such as sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, hormonal patterns and/or chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions for male or female bodies. For some people, these traits are apparent prenatally or at birth, while for others they emerge later in life, often at puberty.

Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) recognises the diverse histories, uses the word Intersex inclusively and acknowledges the right to self-determination.

This is also useful, including the Intersex for allies by Human Rights Australia.

Inclusive language is a powerful tool to show support for LGBTIQ+ people. It’s all about preventing the assumptions people make about someone’s sex, sexuality or gender identity. With inclusive language, people are not left feeling unseen, isolated or disrespected.

Here are some suggestions about how you might adjust language to be more inclusive where appropriate:

• Person first – use the name someone introduces themselves as
• Consider using words like ‘partner’
• Consider using ‘parents or guardians’ where you are unfamiliar with the person or group
• Take notice of the pronouns people use for themselves (he, she, they)
• If you’re unsure of the pronoun, stick with the person’s name or politely ask which pronoun they use (not which one they prefer, as sexuality and gender identity are not choices)

Being inclusive is not about getting it right all the time, as long as we’re trying.

(Info source: Proud2Play LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Guidelines Template)

For more on inclusive language, the Victorian Government’s inclusive language guide is a good practical guide for all types of inclusive communication. It’s designed for people who work in the public service, but it’s useful for anyone wanting to help build a more inclusive society.

We all have multiple social, political, racial or religious identities. We call this intersectionality – where gender, race, religion, appearance, disability, etc. intersect to create our own unique story. The structures, relationships and dynamics of systems in society can affect our story too – to marginalise or to create privilege.  Find out more about intersectionality here.

A transgender person is someone whose gender does not exclusively align with the one they were assigned at birth.

Transgender people are at very high risk of poor mental health, self-harming and suicide attempts. The Trans Pathway report found that around 3 in every 4 trans young people have experienced anxiety or depression. Four out of 5 trans young people have engaged in self-harm, and almost 1 in 2 have attempted suicide (48%).

Transgender Victoria has a range of resources for transpeople, their family members and friends.

The Zoe Belle Gender Collective champions the rights of Trans and Gender Diverse Communities.