Empowering Unity: BlaQ’s Role in Strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+SB Community
| Monday, October 21, 2024 |
| 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM |
| Room 1 |
Overview
John Leha, CEO of AbSec
Speaker
John Leha
CEO & Founder
AbSec – NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation & BlaQ
Empowering Unity: BlaQ’s Role in Strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+SB Community
Abstract
BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, like most Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations, was born out of the struggle for rights, recognition and shear necessity for better outcomes for mob. BlaQ was founded in the social collective of young members of the Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ community in Sydney 2019, with rising rates of STI and HIV statistics and the absence of a culturally sound service design and delivery to inform good policy and practice to support mob. The need to formalise our collective to inform all parts of our society was paramount. This included Aboriginal organisations, Government institutions, communities and the ever-evolving political landscape in Australia and abroad.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQSB+ individuals occupy a unique intersection of identities that inform our lived experiences, particularly their sense of inclusion and exclusion.
The colonial history of Australia and white settler enforcement of Christian and heteronormative values have framed Indigenous individuals as the “Other” within society and this is especially the case for those who are both Indigenous and LGBTIQSB+. This has resulted in continued institutional discrimination against Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ peoples, including within educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities.
Despite a considerable body of evidence demonstrating the importance of inclusion, policies in Australia remain outdated and are frequently informed by a deficit approach that justifies the absence of Indigenous and gender/sexual diverse content within school curricula, Government policy and service design and delivery that reiterates discriminatory policies and practice.
BlaQ continues to empower our community through the self determination of our community in service design and delivery, community led research and policy development to better inform Government policy and investment.
BlaQ has provided myself and the many community members with a safe space to connect and advocate for change. It has also been a source of cultural reciprocity in every part of the organisation including food support for our LGBTIQ elders, Yarning circles to address instances of isolation, annual cultural retreat end educational resources highlighting the intersectionality of Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQSB+ individuals occupy a unique intersection of identities that inform our lived experiences, particularly their sense of inclusion and exclusion.
The colonial history of Australia and white settler enforcement of Christian and heteronormative values have framed Indigenous individuals as the “Other” within society and this is especially the case for those who are both Indigenous and LGBTIQSB+. This has resulted in continued institutional discrimination against Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ peoples, including within educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities.
Despite a considerable body of evidence demonstrating the importance of inclusion, policies in Australia remain outdated and are frequently informed by a deficit approach that justifies the absence of Indigenous and gender/sexual diverse content within school curricula, Government policy and service design and delivery that reiterates discriminatory policies and practice.
BlaQ continues to empower our community through the self determination of our community in service design and delivery, community led research and policy development to better inform Government policy and investment.
BlaQ has provided myself and the many community members with a safe space to connect and advocate for change. It has also been a source of cultural reciprocity in every part of the organisation including food support for our LGBTIQ elders, Yarning circles to address instances of isolation, annual cultural retreat end educational resources highlighting the intersectionality of Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ peoples.
Biography
John Leha a proud Birri Gubba, Wakka Wakka and Tongan man born and raised on Gadigal Land. John is the CEO AbSec NSW a not-for-profit incorporated Aboriginal controlled organisation. AbSec is the peak organisation for Aboriginal children and families in NSW. That empowers Aboriginal children, young people, families through strong Aboriginal community-controlled child and family sector.
John has an extensive career in the Aboriginal affairs portfolio across government and the not-for-profit sector. John has a background in public policy, governance and advocacy that continues to lead sector reform. Previously the Director of Operations at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, founding Chairperson of Blaq Aboriginal Corporation and currently a co-chair of the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations.
