“ACON changed my life and totally turned it around, for which I’ll be forever grateful.”
“ACON changed my life and totally turned it around, for which I’ll be forever grateful.”
JUSTICE, REMEMBERANCE AND REFORM: HONOURING LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES IN NSW In recent years, Sydney and NSW have taken important steps toward recognising the injustices experienced by LGBTQ people, but these acknowledgements have come far too late. Throughout much of ACON’s early history, LGBTQ people lived under laws and attitudes that criminalised who they were, who they …
TRANS FUTURES: BUILDING HEALTH, EQUITY AND JUSTICE TOGETHER Trans people do and have lived on almost every continent, including this one. Australia is home to some of the longest living trans cultures on earth, and Sistergirls and Brotherboys show up in every Aboriginal nation in this country.Trans and gender diverse people have always been part …
LGBTQ+ WOMEN: VISIBILITY, HEALTH AND LEADERSHIP From the beginning, ACON has been shaped by the work, strength and leadership of LGBTQ+ women. But like in many areas of public life, the needs of women, especially lesbian, bisexual, queer and trans women, were often ignored in health policy, service design and community planning.That began to change …
SEX POSITIVITY SAVES LIVES: WHY PLEASURE MATTERS OIN LGBTQ+ HEALTH Since its founding in 1985, ACON has always believed in something simple but radical: sex is not the problem, stigma is. Sex positivity has been central to ACON’s work in HIV prevention and LGBTQ+ health for four decades. From grassroots workshops to bold public campaigns, ACON …
FROM SURVIVAL TO STRENGTH: LGBTQ+ MENTAL HEALTH THEN AND NOW For many decades, LGBTQ+ people were excluded from conversations about mental health. Being sexuality and/or gender diverse was once classified as a mental illness. For generations, our identities were treated as problems to be fixed, hidden or punished. The trauma and violence of criminalisation, rejection, …
HIV IN 2025: HOW FAR WE'VE COME In the early years of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, the atmosphere was shaped by fear, stigma and profound loss. The virus was barely understood, treatment options were scarce, and people who acquired HIV, particularly gay and bisexual men, were often met with hostility, rejection and isolation. The …
WARD 17 SOUTH AND HIV SUPPORT IN NSW: THEN AND NOW When HIV first appeared in Australia in the early 1980s, there were no effective treatments and very few places for people to turn for help. Fear and stigma were widespread. Those affected, especially gay and bisexual men, were often isolated, discriminated against and left …
"I first discovered ACON’s Love Project through the Mature Age Gays social club for older gay men. My involvement began with a life model sketch class at ACON Café. That led me to the monthly Love Club gatherings and then to other activities: Afternoon Delight movie events, Queer Screen sessions, and outings to the Art …
“I came to Australia in 1989 and felt like I didn't know anybody. I was quite lonely, and I saw an ad in the paper that said, if you felt you could care for somebody who doesn't want to go into hospital and die – and you feel you could care for them at home, …
