THE message is clear and simple in design.
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Safe, emblazoned in rainbow colours, to signal awareness and inclusiveness. But importantly, so LGBTIQ+ young people knew they were in a safe place.
The Pride of Place project canvases were unveiled in four Ballarat Community Health sites and headspace Ballarat on Thursday. Each was painted by Ballarat’s ZAQUE diversity group with support from Healthy Equal Youth project leader Andy Penny and headspace Ballarat youth worker Jesse Park.
ZAQUE’s LGBTIQ+ advocate Stephanie Murray said a lack of understanding for young LGBTIQ+ people was still a major concern in Ballarat. Ms Murray hoped these canvases would help allow all individuals to know they were safe – no matter what their background.
“This is really in your face to say you’re safe,” Ms Murray said. “Not being able to have people get where you’re coming from is still a big issue...When really, it should be about how you are and how you feel.”
Not being able to have people get where you’re coming from is still a big issue...really, it should be about how you are and how you feel
- ZAQUE's Stephanie Murray
headspace, the national youth mental health foundation for 12 to 25 year olds, offers a place for young people to come and have a few laughs, or to really talk about serious issues – no expectations in how to participate.
ZAQUE, now part of headspace, offers support but also has a strong focus on developing peer-led projects, allowing members a chance to voice how they would like to see diversity developed within the community.
Mr Murray said their work aimed to ensure young LGBTIQ+ people felt safer to access services at all sites, and to promote their community engagement in this city.
“ZAQUE helps voice how they would like to approach diversity in the community...It would be simple for us (headspace) to say we’ll do ‘this and this’ but we use groups like ZAQUE because they’re living through it,” Mr Murray said.
“We’re here to facilitate. We do find young people, like Steph, are keeping us transparent.”
A HEY partnership has allowed ZAQUE funding to further support the region’s LGBTIQ+ young people, in projects like ‘Pride of Place’.
The project was sparked with headspace Ballarat and lead agency Ballarat Community Health seeking a chance to increase inclusiveness across their sites and services.
Any young people seeking support or just wanting more information if unsure about LGBTIQ+ issues could visit headspace in Camp Street, or, visit the ZAQUE Facebook page.
