Better Together 2020 most diverse yet
Image: Better Together 2018 Panel Discussion. Photo by Adrian Tuazon
The third National LGBTIQ+ Conference – Better Together 2020 – kicks off the calendar next year in Melbourne at Williamstown.
In a weekend of conversation, education and elevation, diverse communities from around the country join minds to find ways we can all work better together.
“The schedule of panels is the broadest range of diversity we have ever had,” Executive Director Jason Tuazon-McCheyne told Star Observer, “with over 60 sessions ranging from asexuality to people with disability,”
“The community involvement in the sessions are all self-determined. In 2020, we have our first stand-alone refugee plenary, a disability plenary, and a transgender; and gender diverse and non-binary all-day caucus held one day before the Conference begins. They will be working on forming a national network and focusing on building towards that.”
Better Together doesn’t have the answers but is creating the space to ask the questions and engage.
“There are some deep and hard conversations that we need to have, but they are also important ones,” Tuazon-McCheyne said. “The opening plenary will have over 500 people in the room, and we actually get to see what ‘we’ actually look like in a true representation. We are a gorgeous, resilient group of people, and it is nice to have a nourishing time where we can be positive and show good will while explore our differences in opinion and approaches.”
Better Together is not a space where you need to be on the outside looking in; you can come and contribute, or just listen and learn. It is a space for our voices to be heard and an opportunity to establish meaningful connections to cultivate positive change.
“For people who want to stay in their own space, they are welcome to, but we try to not make things clash, encouraging people to engage in areas, communities and spaces that they haven’t touched on before.”
“Even though we are under one acronym, we are a whole bunch of different communities, with different ages, identities, experiences and backgrounds – and that diversity is quite wonderful.”
Better Together 2020 takes place from January 10th – 11th 2020, to check out the draft schedule, register or find out more details head to the Better Together website.
