A new wave of LGBTIQA+ allies are ready to spread love and kindness across Monash Health after a successful IDAHOBIT employee forum.
Recognising International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May, the forum explored the experiences of a wide range of our LGBTIQA+ employees and patients to encourage conversations within our health service about how to be a better ally.
You can watch the event again at any time on our past events page.
Many speakers shared their stories of how they or their loved ones had experienced discrimination within a healthcare setting, including Director Clinical Operations, Public Health, Infection Prevention and Immunisation, Michelle O’Rourke, who spoke very passionately about her late brother who was a member of the LGBTIQA+ community.
“During his life he suffered a lot of discrimination, but I’m heartened to see how some things have improved since that time. We have a long way to go still though, and we cannot rest,” she said.
“We all have diversity in our families and it is, actually, rather normal.”
Consumer Advisor and member of the LGBTIQA+ subcommittee and Gender Clinic Community Advisory Panel, Ely Everill, spoke of her wonderfully inclusive experience as a trans woman when she recently attended Moorabbin Hospital.
“I recently had an operation with an ENT surgeon and was treated just beautifully,” she said.
“Everything is getting better and better as time goes on. We don’t want any special treatment being trans people, we just want to be treated like every other human being.”
The forum also drew attention to some positive and inclusive staff initiatives that had taken place across Monash Health, including one by East Bentleigh Community Care Registered Mental Health Nurse, Sondra Watson.
“We replaced the lanyard on our universal set of keys with a pride lanyard, and we didn’t realise it at the time, but at that moment we’d made a positive change,” they said.
“Consumers started to approach us more and ask questions about sexuality, pride and inclusive language, and it inspired real conversations.”
Sondra then went on to purchase over 150 pride flag stickers to distribute to their colleagues to apply to their name badges – which is a project that started in 2020 and is continuing to this day.
People and Culture Business Partner Mathew Jetmar also discussed what efforts are currently being made to facilitate continual improvement in the LGBTIQA+ space at Monash Health, including a Gender Equity Policy in the works, an updated and more seamless process for employees wanting to change their name, a resource pack for managers and employees when going through gender affirmation in the workplace and more. More details will be coming soon as these policies and other inclusive procedures are finalised.
Event attendees were lucky enough to hear stories from General Medicine Service Director Steph Jones, Clinical Midwife Specialist, Adolescent, Drug and Psychological Pregnancy Team Jessica Elwood and Monash Health Gender Clinic Project Implementation Officer and Research Officer, and LGBTIQA+ subcommittee member, David Colon Cabrera, about their lived experiences within our health service.
Run by the Chair of our LGBTIQA+ subcommittee, Denise Owen, and emceed by Executive Director People and Culture, Chris McLoughlin, the event created a safe and inclusive space for our LGBTIQA+ employees and inspired our staff to continue to make positive change across Monash Health.
“Providing an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable is the most important thing we can do,” Denise said.
Monash Health also flew the Progressive Pride flag at Monash Medical Centre to mark IDAHOBIT Day.
For those interested in becoming an ally or LGBTIQA+ ambassador within Monash Health, please email lgbtiqa@monashhealth.org.
Watch the IDAHOBIT event again here.
Approved by Chris McLoughlin, Executive Director, People and Culture