New Webinar Set Up For Transgender Australians Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Image: ACON and the National LGBTI Health Alliance are reaching out to the TGD community through a webinar being held today (Wednesday May 6).
Image: TransHub
In light of struggles being experienced by transgender and gender diverse (TGD) Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic, ACON and the National LGBTQI Health Alliance will be hosting a special online forum ‘Living Trans During C19’.
The webinar is being held today on Wednesday 6 May from 4.30 pm to 6 pm.
Attendees are encouraged to register here for the event, which will be cast live to a Facebook event set up for the webinar.
The webinar will be hosted by ACON’s Manager Trans and Gender Diverse Health Equity, Teddy Cook, and ACON’s Community Health Promotion Officer, Trans and Gender Diverse Health Equity, Liz Duck-Chong.
The webinar will aim to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on TGD people who are now facing unique challenges of accessibility to information that relate to their health and wellbeing.
Cook noted that the webinar will allow an exchange of information to ensure TGD people can stay safe and connected as the pandemic continues.
“It’s important that we create opportunities for trans and gender diverse people to build a strong understanding of how to stay safe, connected and well during COVID-19, and beyond,” Cook said.
“Living Trans During C19′ offers our community, and allies, a space to learn and ask questions from health and community experts.”
ACON and the National LGBTI Health Alliance set up the webinar to address common issues felt by TGD Australians which are being compounded amid the pandemic.
These issues vary, with many TGD people reporting high levels of discrimination and stigma in hospitals and health care settings. Specifically, TGD people whose name and gender are not reflected correctly with government agencies such as Medicare, or those who live as visibly trans, are regularly misgendered at hospitals.
Other issues include general advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as washing hands, which poses problems for TGD people as public bathrooms are problematic and risky spaces for trans people as they’re exposed to harassment and violence.
CEO of the National LGBTI Health Alliance, Nicky Bath, iterated that the webinar aims to empower TGD people through access to knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Trans and gender diverse people are disproportionately impacted by discrimination when accessing health care,” Bath said.
“That’s why it’s important for us to empower a meaningful, inclusive, and supportive response to COVID-19 by partnering with ACON to deliver this important webinar.”
Guest speakers for the webinar will include Sistergirl Elder, advocate and community organiser, Aunty Lisa Taylor, and Trans and Gender Diverse Specialist Advisor for LGBTQI Health Alliance and Trans Sex Worker Representative for Scarlet Alliance, Mish Pony.
Other speakers will include gender-affirming GP in the Sutherland Shire and GP Clinical Lead for South Eastern Sydney HealthPathways, Dr. Martina Gleeson, and Media Manager for the Gender Centre as well as writer, advocate and academic, Eloise Brook.
Other guest speakers will also present information at the webinar in the hopes of accurately answering as many questions as possible for TGD community members.
Further health information for TGD people, as well as support resources for their loved ones, allies, and health providers are also available on ACON’s digital platform, TransHub.
