This week, a series of important campaigns from ACON have launched with a focus on lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women’s health.
ACON, previously known as the AIDS Council of New South Wales, was founded in 1985 to fight the AIDS crisis of the time. Since then, while still fighting HIV (with a goal to end HIV transmissions in NSW by 2020), the organisation’s focus has broadened to encapsulate more health initiatives for LGBTI people in this state.
Last Wednesday night, in the cabaret room at the Imperial Hotel, there were more than just drag shows onstage (though there was a bit of that too – just not your average drag queen). Instead, packed into that back room was a crowd of people welcoming the launch of ACON’s #TalkTouchTest campaign, aimed at getting LBQ women to regularly screen for breast cancer.
Then this week, in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day, ACON launched its #SmokeFreeStillFierce campaign, aimed at cutting the rates of smoking in LBQ women.
Neither of these campaigns particularly relate to sexual health, which is what a lot of ACON’s previous work with women has been about. And that’s why these campaigns are so important. Each of them recognises that a health risk that faces all women affects LBQ women differently.
Despite being a higher risk group for breast cancer, LBQ women have typically and historically been under-screened for the illness. And LBQ women smoke at double the rate of their heterosexual counterparts, while young LBQ women (aged 18-24) smoke at three times the rate of young women generally.
Neither of these facts have a direct physical correlation with a person’s sexuality – but they stem from social stigmas. In the #TalkTouchTest campaign, ACON has recognised that LBQ women aren’t represented in typical breast cancer campaigns (even among all that pink and purple?!). And similarly, anti-smoking campaigns weren’t doing enough to capture the unique environment in which LBQ women smoke, and therefore why they do it.
So both campaigns have a unique dedication to representing our community. #TalkTouchTest launched with a photo shoot involving around 200 women in the Sydney queer community touching each other’s breasts, and #SmokeFreeStillFierce features a diverse group of women hanging out outside The Red Rattler.
These campaigns speak to the heart of the community: its people. It’s easy to not feel included by general public health campaigns, just as it’s easy for an LBQ woman to feel pretty invisible for most of the year (Mardi Gras excluded). These campaigns are powerful in the way they actually speak to the community affected; the way they actually see LBQ women – not as a stereotype, or an idea of what an LBQ woman should look like.
Social stigmas translate to real health risks, and these campaigns prove as much. That women in our community feel less comfortable going to doctors – because of a bad experience in the past, or an unwillingness to come out, or even an assumption on the part of the doctor – is a social stigma that has meant LBQ women don’t get breast screens, pap smears or STI checks nearly as often as they should. By seeing the members of this community for who they really are, these campaigns aim to fight that stigma.
This Week:
On Wednesday June 1 is the After pARTY at Freda’s, featuring 110%, Hissy Fit and LOMB. It’s an unofficial afterparty for all the gallery openings in the area and should be lots of fun.
On Friday June 3, Homosocial is on again at Secret Garden Bar, with a special disco-themed evening to coincide with The Pointer Sisters’ show next door at the Enmore Theatre.
On Saturday June 4 is the return of House of Mince’s Danceteria edition of Goodgod Super Clubas part of Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House. With rapper Junglepussy, Asmara and Baby Face Thrilla, this party should be killer.
Also on Saturday June 4, local artist Astrix Little is launching her new single ‘Neon Explosives’ at Tokyo Sing Song with the help of Wntd and Robustt.
For the diary: the Queen’s Birthday long weekend has a huge lineup of parties to get dancing to. On Sunday June 12, take your pick of Heaps Gay x Vivid (at the Factory Theatre), Bad Dog (at St George Sailing Club) or Pink Bubble (at The Red Rattler). All of the parties have huge lineups, particularly Heaps Gay, so snap up some tickets before they sell out.
