Hepatitis NSW strongly supports marriage equality in Australia.
We at Hepatitis NSW share the expressed concerns of our colleagues at Hepatitis Victoria for the wellbeing of the LGBTIQ+ community during the proposed postal survey on marriage equality, and strongly endorse their following statement.
As a provider of health and education services to thousands of people each year, we support many LGBTIQ+ people, their friends and families and are committed to an inclusive service.
Further, we believe no part of the population should be reliant on the outcome of a ‘plebiscite’ to free them from discrimination. Ongoing discrimination in any form often causes poor mental health and disparity in health outcomes.
While acknowledging there will be many opinions during this period; we call for a calm, evidence-based and respectful discussion.
We recognise that some of our service users may feel vulnerable during this time and encourage those who need support to reach out to relevant services, including our own, for support.
