When I first heard about monkeypox, my reaction was one of apathy: “Oh great, another virus.”

I actually chuckled. It was one of those ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’ moments.

We can be forgiven as a population for having this reaction. After years of Covid lockdowns, arguments, press conferences, infection control and worry, it would be hard to imagine anyone who isn’t feeling a little burnt-out by viruses, especially in Naarm.

Those of us in the queer community, however, do not have the privilege of apathy. Our conversations about Monkeypox are practical and essential: we know how to get information out and support our communities, and we are preparing.

At the time of writing, Victoria’s Monkeypox outbreak has grown by 20 cases in one week. Government officials say cases will continue to rise rapidly until large numbers of vaccines arrive.

Generally speaking, Mokeypox isn’t as dangerous as Covid-19, however it can be deadly. Possible symptoms include sepsis, brain swelling and blindness. It can also be excruciatingly painful and is extremely contagious.

So far, all the mainstream media coverage I’ve seen has described men who have sex with men as the group at risk. This is not untrue, however it doesn’t paint a complete picture. I don’t believe it’s possible that only one subset of the queer community can be affected.

Being in the spotlight isn’t always a privilege – and this is not the first time queer men have been front and centre. Historically, nearly every major event in queer history – positive and negative – has has centred on queer men and left out the other identities and sexualities that co-experience these events.

This often leads to a lack of information around the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and it’s needs, as well as insufficient support and recognition to many who form part of it. I believe that in order to manage the outbreak as effectively as possible and target those most at risk, efforts must include and account for all LGBTQIA+ identities, as well as intersections such as race, culture and disability.

Safe and easy access to treatment and accurate health advice is essential to tackling Monkeypox, and will help everyone, not only those of us who are queer. Reducing stigma and increasing awareness means more of us feel safe enough to get a vaccine, which will help to slow or stop it spreading to populations outside of the queer community. Of course, viruses do not only target one gender or sexuality, and monkeypox is not an STI – any person can be catch it though close contact with an infected person.

Targeting Those at Risk

Among my social circles, I am the only non-man I know who has received a Monkeypox vaccine. For all I know, I may be one of the first women in Australia to have received it.

At the time of writing, in Victoria, eligibility has just been expanded to trans people. This differs from the health advice being given federally, which suggests the vaccine should only be given to men who have sex with men. The same government website lists the risk factors as being: “People who have had close physical contact with an MPX case, and Australian travellers returning from, or going to, countries with confirmed cases.”

This broad brush-stroke approach seems familiar to many who have interacted with federal government medical and community systems, and there were concerns that gender diverse people and sex workers were not being protected.

There was some acknowledgement of this by the Victorian government, hence the updated guidelines, which have been expanded to AMAB (assigned male at birth) trans/non-binary people, and sex workers.

I feel grateful to have access to the vaccine, as I genuinely need it – I have multiple partners, which including queer men. I’m certain there are many others like me who are ineligible and at risk.

Even in Victoria, where is the protection for cisgender or AFAB people who have sex with men? What’s to say a woman with multiple male partners is less at risk than a gay man in a long-term monogamous relationship?

It makes me uncomfortable that the vaccine is only available to AMAB trans people. It certainly made me uncomfortable in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. In my experience, the terms AMAB and AFAB are primarily used in the queer community to speak to framing one’s upbringing or experience before they transitioned, and how this affected their journey. I don’t refer to others in this way and in most cases, I don’t like to be categorised by my sex assigned at birth.

Disclosing I am AMAB not only means outing myself, it also alludes to the trans experience being performative. My gender is real, and I am a real woman, thank you.

I’ve not seen any evidence to suggest Monkeypox affects bodies with different reproductive systems differently, and if it does, someone needs to express this directly. Dividing up the queer community using hard boundaries causes issues and inaccuracies, because we define ourselves with fluidity and use language in ways that mainstream communities do not.

I believe this approach shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly those of us who are gender diverse and/or trans.

Of course, knowing that men who have sex with men are the main group that has been affected so far is important. You may forgive me, however, for being suspicious of how accurate this data is. After all, we only recently took part in a census that was actively designed to exclude data on gender diversity. Self-reported data and birth records also hold the possibility of being inaccurate due to stigma and barriers towards gender affirmation.

My concern is that unless information is put out acknowledging that other members of the queer community are at risk then many of us will underestimate the threat of being infected and the measures we need to take.

So how do we define who is eligible for the vaccine, with the knowledge that there may not be a clear picture of which genders are being affected? Could it be as simple as targeting “LGBTQIA+ people who are sexually active with multiple recent sexual partners and/or attend sex-on-premises venues and/or engage in sex work”?

There is a trope of queers being impractical or sensitive, however my experience has been that LGBTQIA+ people are very practical and will react appropriately in times of crisis, as is the case with many marginalised populations. We don’t need you to sugar coat or shy away from which sub- groups are at risk, however there needs to be acceptance of fluidity in how we manage those risks. Understanding and supporting gender expression and fluidity is an essential part of supporting queer populations, and community-run organisations put effort and care into orientating support to where it is needed without the use of hard boundaries. This yields real change, and I believe it’s something mainstream heath supports could learn from queer-informed practice.

Stigma

If there’s one thing we learned from Covid-19, it’s that misinformation laced with fear can be a lethal combination. This isn’t the first time stigma has led to vilification and hatred of the LGBTQIA+ community. Already, here in Australia, there have been comments made by media personalities vilifying and stigmatising queer men and referencing tired, unfounded tropes about viruses and hygiene. It’s an easy target, and it will take understanding and education for the general public to talk about a virus that causes genital sores with maturity.

As I’ve spoken about before, these public attacks can cause deeper, more organised hatred by giving confidence and an audience to fringe anti-LGBTQIA+ groups, who have already jumped on the opportunity to push hate speech around monkeypox.

My concern is that, if left unchecked, misinformation and hate speech may cause many people to not engage with appropriate health supports when affected for fear of persecution, including people outside of the queer community.

There have already been many people who have shared their stories of  contracting the virus and/or getting vaccinated on social media, and these people need to be supported to share their stories. Communities also need support to tackle hate speech and potential misinformation, and to enable communities to trust that they can seek support and healthcare safely.

Many queer people who are also sex workers, drug users, people of colour and/or people with a  disability also have intersections that place them at higher risk of stigma, as well as a higher likelihood of rightly mistrusting government and medical systems.

During Covid we worked with community leaders of these groups to put out messages and promote information for these vaccines. We need to do the same for Monkeypox, and this also means tackling stigma to help these people feel safe, while making vaccines accessible to these groups.

The queer community has demonstrated an effective and practical response to Monkeypox so far however we require support, understanding and flexibility to succeed. Circumstances and beliefs have changed since the AIDS crisis, and it would be inappropriate to compare our current situation to the magnitude of hatred and negligence that survivors of that era went through.

I do hope, however, that as a community we can learn from our mistakes. I would like the way Monkeypox is handled to be seen as a marker of progress made in understanding, accepting and learning from LGBTQIA+ communities.

Please go to https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/monkeypox#vaccination to find out if you are eligible for a vaccine and where your nearest vaccination hub is located.

Drummond Street Services and Queerspace in partnership with VincentCare, Uniting Vic.Tas, and Family Access Network (FAN) just received funds from the Victoria Government Department of Families, Fairness and Housing – VIC in August to run a program called Pride in Place which provides comprehensive, safe and inclusive recovery pathways for LGBTQIA+ people who are experiencing homelessness. Here are the Hon. Harriet Shing, Minister for Equality Harriet Shing MP and Hon. Danny Pearson, Minister for Housing Danny Pearson MP for Essendon launching the Pride in Place program at Drummond Street Services in Carlton.

Trans women as a collective are exhausted. The powers that be, in their infinite wisdom, have decided that simply existing in a cis-normative world isn’t enough of a challenge, so they took the initiative to up the ante.

The latest group to run us through the gauntlet is FINA who have decided now is a great time to effectively ban trans women from elite swimming *slow clap*. Their report reads as a vaguely apologetic attempt at diplomacy, reducing the complexities of human biology and social determinants to a handful of convenient factors. The justification for such a TERF-y argument is oddly anti-feminist; it’s clear they see a strong desire to protect “The weaker sex” from trans women’s apparently impenetrable superiority in the sport.

The scientific evidence provided in FINA’s report reads with a kind of cocky clinical confidence one would expect from an all-male panel responsible from gatekeeping marginalised women from their chosen passion. But is their argument as airtight as they make it out to be? Absolutely not.

Standing on Shaky Shoulders

Research into trans women’s health is woefully sparce, as many trans women realise upon attempting to access hormone therapy and other appropriate medical care. One often detects a strangely unnerving hesitation from doctors and specialists who don’t quite know what they are doing, which doesn’t speak to their incompetence, rather to woefully underfunded research into trans healthcare. We don’t have a lot of empirical data on hormone therapy for trans women, so it comes as a surprise that FINA can appoint a scientific panel who can be so certain about the effects of feminizing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  Medical experts such as Dr Ada Cheung, a leading physician in Endocrinology who specialises in transgender health are keen to point this out:

“We actually don’t know if there’s a biological advantage for trans women over cisgender women because the science is not clear, no research has really been done into trans female swimmers or any elite athletes that are transgender. The jury is out.”

Similarly, Dr Patrice Jones, A postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Genetics, Epigenetics and Exercise group at the Institute for Health and Sport stated “We don’t have enough evidence to make these decisions”; “testosterone levels are not a perfect proxy for performance”

In its report, FINA argues that trans women have bigger lungs and limbs, and more effective cardiovascular systems than cis women. This is not the first time an argument has been made to exclude a marginalised group from sport, under the guise of “fairness and equality” and standing on the shaky shoulders of reductionist quasi-scientific discourse. These critics of inclusive sport usually push forward their views under the guise of “fairness” and the idea that “political correctness has gone too far”.

Would Fina exclude a 6″6 cis woman from sport because her feet are bigger and her arms are longer than others? Michael Phelps Possesses biological traits that have been described as “Bordering on supernatural” , such as double-jointed ankles which give his kick an unusual range. His body also produces just half the lactic acid of a typical athlete, a chemical causing muscle fatigue. Superhuman Champion or unfair advantage? The branding seems a little inconsistent.

Beyond Biology

Of course, It takes more than grit and muscle to participate in sport in an elite level. A multitude of other environmental factors are at play, relating to privileges such as social status and access to facilities, coaching and healthcare. FINA has acknowledged some of these additional factors, but only to speak to disadvantages faced by cis women. In their report, Fina stated “By reason of their sex and sex-linked traits, females often enjoy fewer societal opportunities compared to males, including fewer sporting opportunities, and sex-separated competitions are necessary to help address this inequality”

It’s an important factor to consider, but what about the inequalities for trans people? It’s a disturbingly common and dangerous myth that trans women “Enjoy male privilege” right up to the moment they transition. As if transitioning exists in a vacuum. Oh, we should be so lucky. People don’t just decide to transition on a whim, unfortunately more often than not we have been through a crippling pain and internal turmoil before our environment provides us access to such a feat. Often through the process we are severed from our families, out material support, our communities, and now thanks to this precedent our recreation. Here’s some stats for you FINA – 45% of trans people will attempt suicide in their lifetime. How are you taking into account the burden of living in a world that’s been designed to exclude you?

The Timing

FINA is saying that they need to implement this exclusionary policy now while they work out a way of including trans women in a fair way, but there are currently no trans women participating in elite swimming, so what’s the urgency? Why elicit this much harm for no benefit?

It seems oddly coincidental this “impartial and scientific” decision has come about now, while trans women remain centred in the political headlights both here and overseas. Perhaps this is more a political decision than a scientific one? The CEO of sport Australia thinks so: “This is a really challenging dialogue for anybody,” … “and one of the main reasons is that, unfortunately, the far sides of the argument have created this incredible emotive energy around the topic. The reality is the Save Women’s Sport movement, which suggests women’s sport is about to disappear because of a wave of transgender athletes, is incredibly erroneous”

The Point

So why does FINA think that it’s okay to do this to trans people? I Agree with Author Gill Peterson, that most of the destruction that occurs to trans identities is hinged on the idea that trans people, especially trans young people, are fundamentally new and therefore less deserving of human recognition. I’ve written before about how this idea is utterly incorrect, trans people have always existed but have been stricken from recorded history due to erasure and medicalisation.

Privilege and advantage exist in our society, and not only are they determined based on factors with immeasurable complexity, excluding people based on their life experience or biological makeup is not going to level the playing field. The truth is it was never truly level to begin with – genetics and environment shape our diversity as humans, which is something to be celebrated.  This isn’t about science or fairness, it’s about exclusion and politics. No one should be excluded from sport at any level. Celebrate trans sportspeople. Celebrate trans champions.

Openly attacking trans people appears to be a cornerstone of the election strategy of right-leaning parties. As members of the LGBTQIA+ community, we know how dangerous this situation is. So how does the trans community protect itself from propaganda and hate speech?

In line with Queerspace’s belief in community supporting community, we have put together a fact sheet with some ideas and strategies that may be useful in helping to keep a level head. These are suggested by our trans staff, we hope they serve you well.

Managing Social Media/Doomscrolling

Apps like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are designed to keep you hooked; Many of us know the feeling of being unexpectedly confronted with transphobic comments and/or targeted ads. Controlling use of these apps can help us avoid being triggered or sucked into online arguments.

Tips:

• Limit the time you can access social media -dedicate a certain time or number of hours a day for social media use – Apps can help with this.
• If you’ve read something online that hurts – try logging off even just for a short time, to allow yourself to process what emotions you are experiencing.
• Rather than browsing social media for news, Subscribe to LGBTQIA+ affirming newsletters and/or publications in your inbox, to avoid unexpected attacks or targeted ads.
• Rather than engaging with transphobic content, consider teaching the algorithm by reporting and unfollowing hate speech and interacting with trans positive content to boost its visibility. If you want to start fresh on Facebook, there are apps to help you unfollow everyone to clear your news feed of content (see below).

Acknowledging Emotions

The trans community is tough, and we have survived a lot. It’s also okay to acknowledge how unfair and damaging our political climate is to community. Recognising this doesn’t make us weaker but trying to push down emotions for too long can cause them to crop up unexpectedly.

Tips:

• Try not to push feelings down for too long – give yourself time to feel them in a safe space.
• If sadness or grief comes up at a bad time, remind yourself you will open up again later.
• If you find things have been bothering you for a while, set some time aside in your calendar. Organize check-ins from someone from community you trust, to debrief, chat and check in around each other’s mental health. Practice some self-care afterwards.
• Remember that who are you is not up for debate – you are valid.

Relieving the Pressure

Intentionally introducing more positive content into our lives can help us feel valid and understood, it can also protect us against negativity and isolation.

Tips:

• Keep an affirmation or vision board at home, or keep write some cute messages to yourself and keep them in your pocket
• Follow a guided mediation
• Organise a queer movie night with friends
• Follow more positive trans content – Subscribe to a trans youtuber, join a trans discord server, listen to a trans podcast or subscribe to a queer blog or newsletter (see below for examples).

Restoring Balance Through Active Resistance

Creating, sharing and contributing to the trans community can help us feel less helpless and more connected. Here are a few suggestions:

• Try to prioritise time during your day for trans inclusive media such as news, radio, TV shows, articles and Instagram accounts
• Share stories with community to find strength in numbers – Invite some friends over for a chat and cuppa or write a blog post or piece of poetry and show it to someone you know. Give them space to do the same.
• Look out for each other. Talk to your queer and trans friends if you witness something like a negative billboard or transphobic advertisement or encounter unsafe comments online/in person. Create safety with friends by having open conversations about where these attacks are coming from (so we can avoid them) and call on allies in your life to advocate / lodge complaints / hang banners / confront it.
• Get involved in advocacy efforts, like volunteering to support TGD people or community groups, call your MPs that are supportive of TGD people and discuss ways that you can help them. Start or sign a petition about something you’re passionate about or put-up posters in your neighbourhood!
• Enlist your ally friends – Tell them to support queer artists and charities or buy a queer flag, sticker or badge and wear it with pride. Ask them to educate their cis friends.

Grounding Yourself

If you experience overwhelming emotions, frustration, sensory overload and/or can’t stop thinking about being attacked, grounding yourself can sometimes help. If things get too much you could try some of these:

• Take a walk or find a way to change your environment -this can help to break the spiral of negative thoughts and introduce new things to focus on. Keep you head up while you walk, to keep your airway open and unrestricted.
• Try a breath exercise – Breathe in for 3 seconds, then out for 10. This sends a message to your body to lower your stress response, which can help you feel less anxious and more in control.
• If you are in a safe place, focus your attention outwards – to your senses – think about all the things going on outside your mind – smells, temperature, sounds. Take in every detail of what’s happening around you. This can help break a cycle of negative thoughts.
• Practice self-compassion – If it feels comfortable, Put your hand on your chest, or your opposite shoulder (like a hug). Speak to yourself in a way you would a friend you are comforting.
• If you have a councillor or therapist, speak to them about how this is affecting you.

Links and other resources you may find useful

Unfollow everything with one click (Google Chrome Extension)

Unfollow your entire Facebook newsfeed and start fresh

Blocksite (Chrome, Android and IOS)

Blocks unwanted websites and apps. Can also set a time period, e.g. for controlling social media use

Acorn: Safe and Strong

An LGBTQIA+ Guide to Social Media

Trans Reads

Trans Reads is the world’s largest collection of free trans-focused literature.

Salty Magazine

A newsletter and community for unapologetic women, trans and non binary people.

Archer Magazine

An award-winning print publication about sexuality, gender and identity.

If you or someone you know is feeling unsafe and/or needs immediate support, you can contact one of these services:

Rainbow Door  – a free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline providing information, support, and referral between 10am – 6pm. You can call, text or email.

Call: 1800 729 376  |  Text : 0480 017 246  |  Email: support@rainbowdoor.org.au

QLife – phone and online counselling support for LGBTIQA+ community and family, available 3pm – midnight every day. Call 1800 184 527

COVID-19 Response: We are here and not going anywhere, but how we stay in touch, deliver services may change as the community grapples with responding to COVID-19.

This is a message to all drummond street service users, communities, sector friends, community organisations, support groups and suppliers.

drummond street services want to reassure you we will continue to deliver the services you need during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the way we do this may change as everyone grapples with the new challenges COVID-19 brings to our interactions. drummond street services operations will also continue throughout the crisis, however some will be modified.

Further information:

For further information regarding COVID-19 we recommend the following sites and numbers:

• DHHS information on Coronavirus (about the illness and symptoms) – please click here.
• DHHS Information, updates and advice about the outbreak of the coronavirus disease – please click here.
• DHHS translated Coronavirus materials – please click here.
• The Australian Department of Health translated materials – please click here.
• Coronavirus Health Information Line: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Phone: 1800 020 080
• healthdirect hotline: This hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can speak to a registered nurse about any health concerns.
  Phone: 1800 022 222
  Website – please click here.

“I didn’t choose this, why do I have to live with these people”

Teenagers are probably the most challenging when creating a new stepfamily – here are some tips for them to help them adjust to their new family!

When you are in a stepfamily you might feel:

• Sad or angry that your family has changed.
• Under pressure to like your new stepparent.
• Pleased that this nice person has come into your family and your mum or dad is a lot happier but it’s still weird sometimes.
• Split in half – so it feels hard to stay close and be loyal to both parents at first.
• Left out, because your parent gives the new partner a lot of attention.
• Annoyed that this stepparent also comes with their own kids you have to deal with.

Ideas that can help:

1. Make a list of things you like doing (playing music, being part of a club or a sports team). Fill up your week and spend time with friends so you are not so focussed on what’s happening at home.
2. Ask for support from your friends. You will probably be surprised that when you share your story they will tell you that things aren’t exactly perfect in their family either.
3. Keep a diary or a blog about what it’s like to be in a stepfamily. It can help you feel better and it’s good to look back when things have changed.
4. Work on accepting that in life – there are some things that you just can’t change. Think about it and work out what you DO and DON’T have control over (e.g. you can’t control how someone else acts, just how you respond to them).
5. Be smart and make a plan to be respectful towards your stepparent – whether you like them or not. Saying normal things like good morning, hi and bye, thanks for dinner etc. will stop them complaining about you to your parent. Everyone deserves respect and if you are communicating civilly then you can ask them to do the same (eg “Please speak to me nicely, like I speak to you”).
6. Request a family meeting if you have a big problem to discuss. Make sure you LISTEN to other people’s point of view and ask them to then listen to yours without interrupting. Stay calm and be clear about what you want, rather than getting angry and walking off in a bad mood.
7. If you have things to say to your family members but you feel uncomfortable about it – then write them a letter. It can be a good chance to explain why you have behaved as you have, and tell them how you would like things to be in the future.
8. If you don’t like your new stepparent disciplining you (setting rules and consequences) then ask that this be handled by your parent. You don’t have to be horrible about it just say “I think that would work better for everyone” – adults don’t know all the answers, they are going through a transition period too.
9. Recontact old friends or extended family you haven’t seen for a while. It feels good to be connected to other people who know you well.
10. This is a challenging one… try to imagine what life is like for your stepparent. They probably didn’t choose this situation either, they just fell in love with your parent. If you are brave enough you can ask them “So what’s this family situation like for you” and listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t agree with all of it – just asking the question will improve things. If you can go easy on them for a while you might find they show a different side of themselves and things get easier. Sometimes young people can be the ones that fix up these situations because the adults don’t always know how.
11. Let the little things go – try not to make a fight over every small detail. If your somebody annoys you try walking away. You have better things to do with your time.

It is ok to seek out some positive support during this time.

See a counsellor that is familiar with parenting and stepfamily dynamics. They can help with things like communication skills and managing your emotions.

Where to access further help:

• Stepfamilies Australia stepfamily.org.au
• Family Relationships Advice Line 1800 050 321
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Raising Children www.raisingchildren.net.au

Recognising Family Members and Loved Ones

drummond street services acknowledges the importance of family members and loved ones to a victim’s/survivor’s journey, support needs and recovery.

As victims and survivors consider their own redress, recompense and recovery, family members can also be supported.

Service can include support provided by a peer support person with lived experience who understands the impacts on families and loved ones.

Support is confidential and no cost.

Our support to family members and loved ones:

• Assist in understanding the process of the National Redress scheme, including considerations and the application process
• Linking with other support services, including financial, legal and mental health services
• Understanding and recognising trauma triggers and the impact on support and caring for survivors
• Someone safe to talk about feelings, reflections, supporting your own moments of personal happiness, wellbeing, rediscovering and recovery
• Importance of self-care and understanding the impacts on you
• Importance of positive peer connections

Our support service is based in Carlton, or we can come to you, at your home or another location that is convenient for you. Call us on (03) 9663 6733 or email us at enquiries@ds.org.au.

Six months ago, political leaders decided to hold a postal survey asking all of Australia to vote on the marital rights of some of us. This thrust LGBTIQA+ people into the spotlight, and our communities, whilst trying to protect ourselves from the ‘debate’, also suffered fractures within. Two weeks after the announcement queerspace sat down with people to hear and record their experiences. The aim was to provide a platform and space for the things that this politically charged, complex and dividing time brought up. Tonight we gathered to watch the short film It’s More Complex than ‘Yes’ and to reflect on that time. A panel discussion moderated by queerspace with Peter Waples-Crowe, Jax Jacki Brown, Sally Goldner and Ruth McNair, helped us to deepen the conversations and strengthen mutual understanding within our communities.

Here is the short film:

We’ve got this New job for you mate,

We’re still working on the job description, HR says we need to get it down to a 3 pager, but it’s blown out to a 50 page plus??? You have to keep doing your current job, but the other one is starting soon, could be sooner than we think. The only thing is, it’s fulltime, I mean full full time, you need to be on call 24/7.

Job – New Dad!

Conversations around Men’s Health can start with; What’s it like for men transitioning to becoming a New Dad. We know its super tough for Mums and Women….  so what’s it like for the fellas?

Here are some tips and resources for us all (an extract from The Dad Project published by the NSPCC –  All babies Count In Britain):

Our top ten tips for anyone working with parents before and after a baby is born:

• Think of dads as service users in their own right, not only as mums’ supporters. Know, record and use dads’ names.
• Learn about the research around the psychological and social elements of both mums’ and dads’ experiences of pregnancy and new parenthood. Educate yourself about the challenges they can face.
• Ensure your communications, workspaces and materials communicate that dads are equally valuable and welcome.
• Reflect on and challenge your own assumptions and stereotypes about fathers. Seek feedback from dads about their experience of your service.
• Help mums and dads to understand each other’s experiences of pregnancy and new parenthood. Show them concrete ways in which they can help each other.
• Teach mums and dads about babies’ early cues and encourage them to watch and interact with their baby.
• Talk to mums and dads about the challenges of new parenthood so they know what to expect. In every contact, ask both parents how they are doing, and listen and respond respectfully to their answers.
• Teach mums and dads how to care for a baby (for example bathing and nappy changing). Specifically encourage and acknowledge dads’ involvement in caring for their baby when speaking to the family.
• Utilise scans as an opportunity to help both parents to engage in the pregnancy and get to know their baby. Ensure dads are explicitly invited to the scan and acknowledged when they are there.

drummond street services has a great pilot program running at the moment with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Merri Health. It supports New Dads and Mums during this huge life stage transition period!

This program from Penn State University, facilitates safe conversations and coaching for New Mums and New Dads.  It’s called Family Foundations and is a great 10 session program available to couples before and after baby arrives. Check it out!

Enjoy International Fathers Men’s Health Day!

queerspace and queerspace youth held our first Transgender Day of Visibility celebration on Thursday the 29^th March. Transgender day of visibility is a day to get together and show support for trans and gender diverse communities. To celebrate our accomplishments and continue to fight cissexism.

It was a very successful day MC’d by the fabulous Mama Alto, whose voice dazzled us. Ruby and Lori hosted a vibrant badge making stall and Parents of Gender Diverse Children facilitated the mural making stall. Pop into reception at 100 Drummond Street, Carlton  to see the finished ‘Visibility 2018’ mural.

We had a raffle to finish off the day and 5 lucky people left with Prize packs. A wonderful day was had by all !