Eliese’s story
"ACON changed my life and totally turned it around, for which I’ll be forever grateful."
Born in 1985 as the community united to address the HIV epidemic, throughout the decades ACON has expanded to deliver a huge variety of programs and campaigns to maximise the health of our LGBTQ+ communities.
As we mark 40 years of ACON, we’re gathering people and their stories. How did ACON impact you? Who did you meet? What did you attend? Did you help someone, or did you find help? What do you remember most?
An initial collection of stories is shown below. We’d love to hear from you. Share your story using the form further down the page, and we’ll be in touch.
YOUR STORIES
Danika’s story
“My role within ACON’s Policy, Strategy and Research team allows me to progress rights, equality and empowerment for LGBTQ+ people through facilitating ACON’s engagement and...
Rod’s story
“If I take myself back to when I first acquired HIV 43 years ago, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I...
Andrew’s story
“I went into the first ACON office in Newcastle. In 1988 it had just opened. I said I’d love to become a volunteer. I knew...
Anthony’s story
“I came out in 1992 — and paid a heavy price. Once a high-profile Pentecostal preacher, I lost everything overnight: my family, my friends, my...
Kunal’s Story
“As a queer South Asian community organiser and former chairperson of Trikone Australia, ACON has always symbolised the kind of allyship and institutional solidarity we...
Mark’s story
“I was first introduced to ACON, when I – and my company, IBM – were asked to help establish Pride in Diversity, as an organisation...
Tetsuya’s story
“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...
Nicola’s story
“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...
Suman’s story
"We watch films, we dance, dine together, get aged care info, even basic amenities as treatment and housing assistance counseling. ACON is a safe place...
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SHARE your STORY
Stevie’s story
Stevie Clayton was the CEO of ACON from 1997 to 2009. These are her reflections, as told to John Burfitt. Earliest memories of ACONI had...
Julie’s Story
Julie Mooney-Somers was a member of ACON’s Board from 2011 to 2024. These are her reflections, as told to John Burfitt. Earliest memories of ACONI...
Grant’s story
“For Sydney gay men in the 1990s, what I loved was the sense of loyal camaraderie while fighting together for dignity in health. In 1992,...
Nigar’s story
“I am a lesbian woman from Bangladesh. Growing up, I could never live openly because homosexuality is criminalised and deeply rejected in my country. I...
Nicky’s story
“In 2007, I joined ACON to establish the drug and alcohol program, and with it, I inherited the Rovers, a much-loved and already well-established initiative....
Trevor’s story
“In 2018, being a member of Russ Gluyas’s LOVE Project and a Committee Member (later in 2018 became Treasurer) of Mature Age Gays (MAG), I...
