By ERIN MODARO A public launch is being held for a Bondi memorial dedicated to victims and survivors of hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people throughout the history of Sydney. Located in Marks Park in Tamarama, the memorial titled ‘Rise’ was installed through a collaboration with LGBTQ health organisation ACON, Urban Art Projects (UAP) Design Studio […]
By ALLISON HORE The final design for a memorial in Bondi to victims of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes was announced on Wednesday. ACON and Waverley Council have been working in partnership on the Bondi Memorial public artwork project since 2015, and with the selection of the design the memorial is one step closer to reality. The […]
By Madison Behringer Since its conception in 2007, the annual ACON Honour Awards have celebrated outstanding service to, and achievements within, the LGBTIQ community in New South Wales and Australia wide. This year, 30 incredible individuals and community groups will be celebrated at the annual ACON Awards ceremony in Sydney, held at the Ivy Ballroom […]
By ANDREW M POTTS The Police Association of NSW (PANSW) has issued a rare apology after its president, Tony King, made comments that appeared to imply that HIV could be spread by saliva or by biting. However, the police association is continuing to maintain that a HIV-positive person could transmit the virus to another person […]
BY RHIANNON SOLIMAN As the glitz and glamour of Sydney’s 41st Mardi Gras wears off, many LGBTQ+ individuals were left with something somewhat less glamorous. Yes, STDs. There are many things that can prevent people from avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV, which disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community. Mark Villar, who regularly volunteers with centres […]
BY MICHAEL HITCH Australia’s largest LGBTIQ Health Organisation, ACON, has teamed up with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to deal with domestic family violence (DFV) in the LGBTIQ community. The DSS has provided $340,000 in funding to bolster to nationalise Say It Out Loud (sayitoutloud.org.au), a website produced by ACON in 2016 that provides […]
The brutal, hate-fuelled torture and murder of 21 year old Matthew Shepard in 1998 evoked outrage around the world and ultimately became a catalyst for revision of laws and attitudes towards homophobic violence. The killing took place in the then inconsequential town of Laramie, Wyoming, and two young local men were tried and convicted of […]
Waverley Council and LGBTQI health organisation ACON have joined forces to endorse Tamarama’s Marks Park as the site for a memorial commemorating those killed in historic homophobic attacks. As part of the Bondi Memorial Project, Waverley Council and ACON have partnered to commission and install a memorial art piece in Marks Park to acknowledge the gay […]
By Rita Bratovich The inherent defiance, solidarity, grit, and creativity among members of the LGBTI community has helped it not only survive but triumph in the face of uncommon adversity. Dealing with crisis after crisis including legal discrimination, hate crimes, and the AIDS epidemic, the community has often had to turn inward for support, leading […]