Understanding Sexuality Project 2011

It has long been understood that same-sex attracted people from immigrant and refugee communities have a strong need for specific and culturally-appropriate support and understanding about their sexuality, both from the mainstream GLBTIQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) community as well as from their own ethnic communities. The Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC Inc.) National Conference in 2004 clearly sent such a message. Attended by GLBTIQ people from a range of immigrant and refugee backgrounds, a number of delegates spoke of their experiences of coming out within their own families and communities, and/or deciding not to come out due to a fear of not being accepted, or for their own safety, should they do so.

One clear conference outcome was an acknowledgement that immigrant and refugee communities have a responsibility to improve their understanding of the issues facing their GLBTIQ members, and to better support GLBTIQ family and community. One effective way for this to happen is through training and education that is informative and culturally-relevant delivered to key members of immigrant and refugee communities such as bicultural and bilingual workers. Such training and education would build the capacity of bicultural and bilingual workers, who are working closely with community members on a range of issues, to break down stereotypes, to address fears and to offer people alternative discourses for their understanding of sexuality issues.

In response to this conference recommendation, the Multicultural Centre for Women's Health implemented the Understanding Sexuality Project. After consulting with multicultural and mainstream GLBTIQ groups and organisations, a half-day training program was developed with the aim of building the capacity of bicultural and bilingual workers to engage appropriately with women in their communities on the topic of sexuality and sexual diversity. The training program was delivered to the MCWH Bilingual Health Educators and subsequently to representatives from various agencies and organisations engaging with, or delivering services to, immigrant and refugee women.

The training program is now available for delivery to interested bicultural and bilingual workers.