{"id":7114,"date":"2017-04-24T15:59:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-24T10:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pahichan.com\/?p=7114"},"modified":"2017-04-24T16:01:17","modified_gmt":"2017-04-24T10:16:17","slug":"landmark-project-aims-to-support-south-australias-older-homosexuals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/landmark-project-aims-to-support-south-australias-older-homosexuals\/","title":{"rendered":"Landmark project aims to support South Australia\u2019s older homosexuals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Kathmandu (Pahichan) April 24- LEVELS of discrimination experienced by older homosexuals will be the focus of a landmark project aimed at kickstarting a specialised movement in the state.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

South Australia\u2019s Council of the Ageing has joined forces with Rainbow Advocacy Alliance to conduct the project.<\/p>\n

Campaigners told the Sunday Mail <\/em>that the specialised 12-month initiative was the first of its type to help the state\u2019s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning community.<\/p>\n

They say while there is no evidence of increased levels of discrimination, the Ageing Well Project will identify any problems hitting older people.<\/p>\n

Gay rights activist Desmond Ford has been appointed manager of the program. Mr Ford praised the timing for the project, which he said would provide \u201cmuch needed visibility\u201d to older people in the minority community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose now in their 60s, 70s and 80s grew up at a time where homosexuality was deemed a criminal act and so many kept it under wraps,\u201d he said. \u201cMany experienced isolation and discrimination which in some instances led to mental health issues as a result. There were no conversations or dialogue, no acceptance and certainly no support like there is today.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cBut despite how far we\u2019ve come, there\u2019s still a way to go, particularly for older LGBTIQ communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials said the project will aim to \u201cengage and empower\u201d older people by giving them a voice, encourage input into public policy and identity problems that may affect them as they age.<\/p>\n

They said the project\u2019s priorities include:<\/p>\n

RAISE <\/strong>awareness of the needs of older LGBTIQ people in SA, particularly in rural areas and migrant communities that will create appropriate strategies;<\/p>\n

ENABLE <\/strong>the voice of older people in the proposed marriage equality plebiscite;<\/p>\n

PROVIDE <\/strong>a relevant forum for older South Australians to air their concerns in a safe environment that will ensure appropriate advocacy that addresses their concerns.<\/p>\n

BETTER <\/strong>develop diversity of older people;<\/p>\n

ESTABLISH <\/strong>priorities for improved advocacy and policy development;<\/p>\n

CREATE <\/strong>an LGBTIQ focus across different areas of government;<\/p>\n

DEVELOP <\/strong>opportunities for older minorities to participate in events such as the festivals of SA. This would also include establishing older streams through the Feast Festival and creating a specific focus in ZestFest, the former Every Generation Festival);<\/p>\n

REMEMBER <\/strong>and \u201ccelebrate\u201d the contributions of those in the LGBTIQ community and their shaping of SA history including through the gay rights movement.<\/p>\n

COTA SA chief executive Jane Mussared said she was delighted by Mr Ford\u2019s involvement, given his \u00adstanding and commitment to social justice, equality and inclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cApart from his lifelong advocacy work, Desmond has an outstanding track record managing projects and services that enable and empower people, and is a skilled communicator and trainer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs COTA SA embraces the diversity of our modern ageing, we look forward to standing alongside (him) as we learn and act on the things that matter most to the older LGBTIQ community in SA.\u201d<\/p>\n

SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance chair Andrew Birtwistle-Smith said current structures that supported older people did not reflect the diversity of modern SA.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project will ensure that there is a strong voice in all policy and service development for older people in SA, including through the advocacy and representation,\u201d Mr Birtwistle-Smith said.<\/p>\n

Discrimination is widespread<\/h3>\n

On December 26, 1972, Devon Park couple Desmond Rutherford, 72, and Erwin Robins, 65, were bashed by thugs sprouting derogatory taunts in Hindley St, city.<\/p>\n

The incident left Mr Robins with a punctured lung and Mr Rutherford with stitches to his forehead. Police were not interested, they said, until a nurse alerted detectives who visited the couple\u2019s home with questions of a different kind.<\/p>\n

Mr Rutherford was sharp enough to know the pair could admit to being homosexual \u2013 provided they did not admit to having \u201cacted on it\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fast forward 45 years and the couple are still victims of discrimination.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very difficult,\u201d Mr Rutherford said. \u201cYou still have the rednecks out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Robins\u2019 was at the centre of a court case that saw his attacker\u2019s charges downgraded because of a unique SA gay panic defence. He has also been at the centre of a family inheritance dispute because he does not have children.<\/p>\n

Mr Rutherford recently had an operation at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. But when Mr Robins arrived, despite having his partner\u2019s medical power of attorney, he said he was refused entry to Mr Rutherford\u2019s hospital room. \u201cHe was threatened with removal by security,\u201d Mr Rutherford said.<\/p>\n

The pair have welcomed moves by COTA to increase awareness of LGBTIQ concerns.<\/p>\n

They fear discrimination if they have to go to aged care facilities as they fight for marriage equality. \u201cWe fight severely for the opportunity and the ability to choose,\u201d Mr Rutherford said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Copy : http:\/\/www.adelaidenow.com.au\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kathmandu (Pahichan) April 24- LEVELS of discrimination experienced by older homosexuals will be the focus of a landmark project aimed at kickstarting a specialised movement in the state.<\/p>\n

South Australia\u2019s Council of the Ageing has joined forces with Rainbow Advocacy Alliance to conduct the project.
\nCampaigners told the Sunday Mail that the specialised 12-month initiative was the first of its type to help the state\u2019s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning community.
\nThey say while there is no evidence of increased levels of discrimination, the Ageing Well Project will identify any problems …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":7115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[621,490,11],"tags":[447,446,204,445,1159,458],"class_list":["post-7114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-slider","category-world","tag-bisexual","tag-gay","tag-intersex","tag-lesbian","tag-lgbtiq","tag-transgender"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7114"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7118,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7114\/revisions\/7118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}