Manager's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Since this edition of Polare coincides with the close of the 2003/2004 financial year I am including in this edition my preamble to the Annual Report. I take pleasure in providing the following report outlining the events of significance that have occurred over the last financial year and the endeavours and contributions of the centre and its staff to promoting the health, well-being and human rights of all members of our community.

I have frequently commented on the advances we have made in recent years in improving access and equity for transgender people within the wider community. However, despite the clear gains made and the much wider community acceptance of gender diversity that is evident, there remain many challenges that we need to work together as a community to overcome. All progress is likely to be met with a level of backlash and this has certainly been the case with some of the more significant events of the past year. There was, for example, substantial adverse reporting of the Family Court's decision to allow puberty delaying hormone treatments to Alex, a thirteen year old F.T.M. Equally adverse reporting supported the efforts of a handful of people, misdiagnosed as transsexuals, in their concerted attacks, both legally and politically, against the Monash Medical Centre. And some right wing, fundamentalist Christian groups have been quick to join the chorus of voices that not only oppose the rights of transgender people in general, including the recently won right to marry, but also oppose our very right to exist.

It is extremely important, therefore, that we present a united front against any and all who seek to impose their will, beliefs and prejudice to the detriment of our community.

Partnerships

The Gender Centre has continued to maintain and foster partnerships with a wide range of external organisations to further promote the rights of the transgender community. While these are many and varied, the ones listed below are those with whom significant partnerships have been established.

N.S.W. Health

Apart from the obvious connection we have with N.S.W. Health who, through Central Sydney Area Health Service, provide funding to the centre, we are also sitting on an expert advisory committee providing direction to N.S.W. Health on access to health needs for the transgender and intersex communities. This committee has now been meeting since March 2003 and some key initiatives have been developed. Once formalised, these will form the basis of a number of important recommendations that will be put to N.S.W. Health. We are confident that these will lead to substantial changes in the way the medical profession responds to the needs of intersex children and to access to medical treatments for transgender people. Apart from community representatives the committee draws on a wide variety of expertise, both from medical professionals working in the field and senior policy officers from key government departments.

The Women's Housing Company

As stated in previous Annual Reports, in the latter part of 2001 we entered into an invaluable partnership with the Women's Housing Company which provided the centre with additional exit housing for our residential clients. In the partnership we have gained four additional units. The units and tenancies of these properties are managed by the Women's Housing Company with support to residents being provided by The Gender Centre. This arrangement means that eligible residents of our refuge program will be able to enter the units for a period of twelve months after they have completed their stay at the Centre.

The Women's Housing Company are very supportive and a delight to work alongside. We have also developed a positive working relationship with B. Miles, a women's housing organisation who have a similar partnership with the Women's Housing Company, and who hold two flats in one of the same complexes as the Gender Centre.

N.S.W. Attorney General's Crime Prevention Division

The Gender Centre meets regularly with the representatives from the Attorney General and other community stakeholders on the G.L.B.T. Community Advisory Committee. The primary aim of the committee is to address the issue of crime, particularly crimes of violence, to which G.L.B.T. communities are subjected. A.G.'s funds a range of projects that aim to prevent crime against our communities, including our own anti-violence project which will see a finalised report and recommendations soon.

The Community Advisory Committee committee also holds joint meetings with the Network of Government Agencies (N.O.G.A.), which also addresses G.L.B.T. issues within the N.S.W. government sector. These joint meetings help to improve N.O.G.A.'s understanding of the issues from a community perspective.

Other Significant Partnerships

We have continued our ongoing representation on our local council. The Gay and Lesbian Liaison at Marrickville, (G.L.L.A.M.), meets bi-monthly to respond to community needs, plan events and provide advice on a range of council programs. Marrickville Council have shown a commitment to providing an appropriate range of services to our community and we are pleased to continue our involvement with them. The recent council elections held in March 2004 have resulted in a number of changes on the committee, however, the grass roots approach in responding to the G.L.B.T. communities continues and council are keen to promote diversity within their boundaries and to conduct a range of community events specifically targeting our communities.

Employment Equity Specialists Association (E.E.S.A.)

The Gender Centre is maintaining an active involvement with E.E.S.A. to keep transgender employment on the agenda for E.E.O. practitioners. We continue our membership with E.E.S.A. and will continue to attend meetings where issues being addressed are of relevance to us or where there are issues that we may wish to draw to their attention.

Through our work with E.E.S.A., and also with Office of Employment Equity and Diversity (O.E.E.D.), we seek to achieve strong support from the E.E.O. practitioners in the public sector in advancing work opportunities for transgender people.

N.S.W. Anti-Discrimination Board

Last, but certainly not least, we have enjoyed a long and positive association with the N.S.W. Anti-Discrimination Board. While the board has undergone significant changes in the past year, including a new president, funding cuts and the inevitable reduction in its workforce, it continues to facilitate its Sex and Gender consultation which provides an important forum for airing issues of concern to the transgender community.

We will continue to use this forum in our efforts to minimise discrimination and to encourage pro-active approaches to removing the barriers to access and equity wherever they remain.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.