Just4Causes founder Tracie Oldham feels older LGBTIQA+ people are invisible when it comes to government support and funding, and she’s working to change that.
The 2020 Hume Citizen of the Year has organised an Older LGBT Expo and Talk for people 30 years and older, featuring stalls of local services, guest speakers and the opportunity to ask questions.
“The idea of running this event is to make older LGBT+ people more visible, I want them to have more access to services, I want them to have services provided in their own area,” Ms Oldham said.
Ms Oldham said queer communities face “significant discrimination” in accessing a range of services, including residential, healthcare and other support, and this event is about sharing stories and opening doors.
“The response has been incredible,” Ms Oldham said.
“It has just been welcomed with open arms. I’d tell people my idea,and instantly I had an email back saying ‘Yes, we want to be involved’.”
She said everyone who has expressed an interest in the event has said the same thing: “This is desperately-needed”.
“The fact that these people are coming so far and wide just to talk on the day about this broken system and the invisibility of the older LGBT+ community shows you there is a real problem,” she said.
Ms Oldham said the gap in services for older queer people requires some to travel long distances to access the support they need.
“I was talking to one gentleman the other day, he’s HIV positive… he has to drive for miles just to go and get his service because no one services what’s wrong with him,” she said.
The Just4Causes event is happening at Sunbury Neighbourhood House on August 1, 1pm to 4pm.
Details: www.facebook.com/events/1370678933428159/?ti=ls.
Elsie Lange
